49ers Were ‘Close’ in Jimmy Garoppolo Trade Talks Before QB’s Surgery, Per John Lynch

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch went on KNBR's Tolbert & Copes radio show Monday and discussed a number of topics, including trade talks surrounding quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

"I felt we were close in some discussions and then the decision was made to have surgery and it brought things to a screeching halt," Lynch said, per Jake Hutchinson of KNBR.

"We either want to have Jimmy playing for us, which we're alright with, or we want him to get the value."

Garoppolo underwent successful shoulder surgery on March 8, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network:

Garoppolo suffered a shoulder injury during the 49ers' 23-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC's Wild Card Round on Jan. 16, per Kyle Madson of Niners Wire.

Lynch spoke with reporters at the NFL Annual Meetings in late March and noted that the team was surprised Garoppolo's shoulder needed surgery.

"I think the plan from everyone—from our docs, from the second opinion doc—was, 'let’s try to let rehab fix this,'" Lynch said, per Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area.

"And that was the overwhelming thought, that it would. When he went back for the next visit, the decision was made that it wasn’t improving and that they were going to take that course of action."

Per Chan, Garoppolo isn't scheduled to throw a football until July. Training camps leaguewide will start near the end of that month. He's currently rehabbing in Los Angeles.

Lynch clarified that the team isn't going to release Garoppolo or give him away for minimal value. Rather, the team would prefer to hang onto Garoppolo and go into the season with him, Trey Lance and Nate Sudfeld rounding out the depth chart.

The future of the franchise is in Lance's hands. The 49ers selected the ex-North Dakota State star with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Lance sat behind Garoppolo in 2021 as the 49ers reached the NFC Championship Game.

Garoppolo has one year left on his deal, which carries a $26.95 million cap number.

The trade options shrunk for the 49ers post-draft as numerous NFL teams picked up quarterbacks, but some potential choices still remain, including the Houston Texans.

Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported last Friday that "the Texans will likely explore their options with Garoppolo and [Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield]," per a source.

For now, Garoppolo remains in San Francisco.