49ers Rumors: Jimmy Garoppolo's Relationship with Shanahan, Lynch Went 'A Bit South'

AP Photo/John Bazemore

It already appeared that the chances of Jimmy Garoppolo returning to the San Francisco 49ers this offseason diminished completely, but on top of that, there reportedly was a breakdown between him and head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.

According to The Athletic's Tim Kawakami, "The relationship between Garoppolo and Shanahan/Lynch seems to have gone a bit south in the days or weeks leading up to the NFC Championship Game loss in Philadelphia."

Kawakami noted that it's not clear what the main issue was between Garoppolo and San Francisco's decision-makers.

"If I was to make a knowledgeable guess, I'd say that the mood was always a little questionable this season between Garoppolo and Shanahan," Kawakami wrote. "They've never been especially close, even while they were winning. But they worked very well together for long stretches over this period."

Garoppolo opened the 2022 season as the backup to second-year quarterback Trey Lance, but he had to step in after Lance broke his ankle in Week 2. San Francisco went 7-3 under Garoppolo, who suffered a broken foot on Dec. 4 against the Miami Dolphins. That forced the 49ers to turn to 2022 seventh-round pick Brock Purdy.

San Francisco's season came to an end in an NFC Championship Game loss to the Eagles when Purdy suffered a torn UCL.

Prior to his injury, Garoppolo threw for 2,437 yards, 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He is set to become a free agent and will likely be one of the most sought-after quarterbacks on the open market.

✨ Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content

With Lance and Purdy also both recovering from injuries, San Francisco enters the offseason with some stability issues at the quarterback position.