SANTA CLARA, Calif. — For more than five years, through injuries, trade attempts and much more, the San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo they have always found their way back to each other.
But as San Francisco heads into another offseason filled with quarterback uncertainty, coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear Wednesday that Garoppolo and the Niners will ultimately go their separate ways.
When asked if there was a scenario in which he could see Garoppolo return to San Francisco in 2023, Shanahan didn’t mince words.
“No, I don’t see any scenario of that,” Shanahan said.
Unlike last year, when Garoppolo was still under contract and the Niners tried to trade him, this time they don’t have that agency. Garoppolo is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March, and the 49ers cannot use a tag to retain his rights.
Shanahan and the Niners will therefore go ahead with brock purdy Y trey lance as his two quarterbacks under contract, something Shanahan said Wednesday he’d be happy to go into next season.
The first order of business for Purdy is to heal the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Purdy underwent further imaging on his elbow Tuesday afternoon and while a decision has yet to be made on whether he will undergo reconstruction (Tommy John surgery) or repair (InternalBrace procedure), manager General John Lynch indicated that things were going in the latter’s direction.
A repair would be good news because it would mean a shorter recovery for Purdy that could have him back on the field near the start of training camp in late July or early August.
“The positive part of the news is that it seems consistent that the right approach is the one to take around that six-month point,” Lynch said. “Now everyone will also say you never know until you get there. Every surgeon will tell you that with every surgery. You always like to go in to see exactly… They’re still working on that process, but it seems buoyed by the prognosis of that’s where it is.”
If Purdy opts for augmented surgical repair with an InternalBrace to help reinforce the ligament as it heals, he could actually start his rehab as early as three months after the procedure with full removal at six months.
“That was the best thing for me to hear about it,” Shanahan said. “Once the three months are up, they start the rehab, they just slowly rebuild the arm, and by six months, it’s already full.”
Lance said on Tuesday he should be out of the walking boot for his surgically repaired right ankle by the end of this week, with the possibility of being released in time for organized team activities in May.
Shanahan indicated Wednesday that such a timeline is possible, though Lance might not do as much in the offseason portions of the schedule before OTAs begin.
“It looks like it’s going to be pretty close to Phase 1, Phase 2,” Shanahan said. “Hopefully we’re going to make it easier for him to drill and things like that and through OTA he’ll be able to go.”
As for how the quarterback situation will play out, Shanahan said Wednesday he hasn’t given it much thought yet, noting there isn’t much to discuss at this point because only Lance believes he’ll be available for any field work sooner than later. from the training ground.
Shanahan acknowledged that the Niners will need to add another quarterback somehow, but it didn’t sound like he and the 49ers were looking for a big name at the position.
“I know we have two starters on our team right now that I think we can win with,” Shanahan said. “So when you have that situation, you’re not so eager to go looking.”
Among the other takeaways from Shanahan and Lynch at Wednesday’s season-ending press conference:
• Despite persistent rumors that he might be moving on to television or another job, Lynch said he intends to remain in his role in San Francisco.
“I plan to be here,” Lynch said. “I really do. I’m committed to doing this and having a great time doing it and committed to finding a way to improve a little bit.”
• When he is left tackle trent williamsThe 34-year-old, speaking Tuesday, definitely did not close the door on retiring this offseason.
But Shanahan believes that was more the result of Williams being tired at the end of a long season than a realistic chance that he could quit.
“I didn’t read his words because that’s something important to him,” Shanahan said. “I know Trent loves football. I know it’s very difficult at his age, but in any situation, doing what you do for that long and coming up short. But I’d be surprised if Trent retires in a few weeks.”
• On an impending contract extension for the defensive end Nick BosaLynch indicated that it will develop in a similar way to how it happened with players like linebacker fred warnerreceiver deebo samuel and tight end george kittlewhich means a deal may not be made until closer to the start of training camp.
“I think we have a good track record,” Lynch said. “You looked at the last five years … of getting our players through. But it takes time, patience, persistence, and we’ll have it on our side.”
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