Jimmy Garoppolo’s future in the NFL is poised to be one of the bigger offseason storylines to follow over the next few weeks/months. The San Francisco 49ers are widely expected to trade the 30-year-old quarterback and usher in 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance as their starter next season. As we wait to see what Garoppolo’s ultimate destination will be, he is set to undergo shoulder surgery in the near future, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
While Garoppolo’s thumb injury — which Schefter notes does not require surgery — garnered most of the attention during San Francisco’s playoff run, he also played through this shoulder ailment that he originally suffered in the team’s wild-card win over the Dallas Cowboys. After undergoing surgery, Garoppolo is expected to be sidelined until the summer and should resume throwing sometime before July 4, per Schefter.
Even with this shoulder surgery news coming down the wire, Schefter reports that the injury is not expected to impact his trade status and that it’s likely he’ll be moved this month. Multiple teams have shown “significant interest,” per Schefter.
Injuries have been a major part of Garoppolo’s career to this point. His 2018 season was limited to just three games after he suffered a torn ACL and was later held to just six games during the 2020 season due to a high ankle sprain. His inability to be relied upon every week was the driving force behind the Niners trading up to select Lance at No. 3 overall last spring.
When healthy, Garoppolo has shown that he can win games, as he is 37-16 as a starter (including playoffs) in his career. In the two seasons he’s played at least 15 games for the 49ers over his five-year tenure, the club reached the NFC Championship (2021) and Super Bowl LIV (2019). So, if he can catch some good fortune and stay healthy at his next destination, Garoppolo should be able to make his team competitive. As we’ve seen, however, that may be easier said than done.
KVSP