49ers Notebook: Mike McGlinchey hopes to stay in the Bay; Jimmie Ward reflects on his time with 49ers; A Jimmy G sighting; Nick Bosa describes injury vs. Eagles; A Joe Staley – Kayvon Thibodeaux Twitter battle

Is this also goodbye for Jimmy G?

After what happened in 2022, it’s doubtful anyone affiliated with the 49ers will say for sure if quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s days with the team have come to an end. But odds seem to be against a Garoppolo-49ers reunion given the presence of Brock Purdy and Trey Lance.

Few thought Garoppolo to wind up under center for the 49ers again in 2022 after he said his goodbyes at the end of the 2021 season, but things didn’t work out as expected for him on the trade market after going through offseason shoulder surgery. Garoppolo and the 49ers worked out an arrangement towards the end of the preseason, then he found himself back on the field after Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2. Garoppolo’s foot injury in December opened the door for Purdy, who established himself as a viable option at quarterback.

So it seems likely Garoppolo will choose to hit free agency and seek out an opportunity to start for another team, but time will tell for sure. 49ers beat reporter Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area spotted Garoppolo speaking with 49ers co-chairs John and Denise Debartolo-York after the loss to the Eagles.

“The veteran quarterback… somberly walked up to Dr. John York and wife Denise, gave each a hug and expressed appreciation for everything they had done for him,” wrote Chan. “As Garoppolo walked away, he told the team owners, ‘Everything will work out.'”

The 49ers could have used Garoppolo against the Eagles after losing Purdy (elbow) and backup Josh Johnson (concussion) to injuries. On that subject, Garoppolo told NBC Sports Bay Area, “I wish I had a helmet.”

Playing through some unexpected pain

Not long after Purdy left the NFC Championship game with his elbow injury, the 49ers got a scare when defensive end Nick Bosa was taken down after being run into while standing on the sidelines during a special teams play. But while Bosa was left a little bloody from the collision, he entered into the game and played through whatever pain he was experiencing.

“You’re going through a lot at this time of the year, so you just have to keep on going,” Bosa said after the game. “It was a punt and I was ready to run out because I don’t think there was a return and [safety Tarvarius Moore] had the guy. He was driving him out of bounds and I’m kind of starting to move towards the field and I see him coming towards me and then he just whips them around and a cleat into my leg.”

The game was still in the first quarter when Bosa got hit, but he took it as a bad omen for the rest of the day.

“That was kind of a sign of a rough day when you get hurt on the sideline,” Bosa said.

Happy McCaffrey

Despite how things turned out on Sunday, running back Christian McCaffrey couldn’t be happier with how things turned out for him after being traded from the Carolina Panthers to the 49ers in October.

McCaffrey experienced the deepest playoff run of his career with the 49ers, and while he was upset over the loss in the NFC Championship, he expressed his gratitude with how he’s been treated since joining the team at midseason.

“There’s a lot of emotions that come at you at once,” McCaffrey said. “I think obviously it’s disappointing, and we wanted to be playing and have a shot to play in the Super Bowl, but at the same time, I’m unbelievably grateful for the way this team took me in in the middle of the year. Feels like a family in there, from the coaches and the ownership to the players. And I’m grateful for everyone in that locker room. I think it was very special.”

McCaffrey praised the culture surrounding the 49ers, citing it as the reason the team has routinely been among the NFL’s best in recent seasons.

“I go back to just the practices when I first got here and didn’t know a lot of people and just observing,” McCaffrey said. “And there’s a reason why that team has a shot every single year, and I know why now. And the fight that’s in the locker room is amazing. It’s unfortunate that it happened the way it did today, because I feel like all those guys deserve real shot. We all do. But again, this is a tough game, and sometimes it doesn’t go your way.”

Nothing to apologize for

Brock Purdy seemed to be down in the dumps after the loss to the Eagles, in large part because the game didn’t turn out as he hoped it would for the team’s veterans. Purdy wanted to help get the veterans to the Super Bowl, but his injury wound up standing in the way.

“I want it for these guys, the older guys, more than anybody,” Purdy said. “As a rookie, you can say I got your whole career, but, man, these guys have told me that it’s rare to get here. And so it’s hard. It’s not easy, man. It’s more for those guys. And I feel for those guys, man, more than anything.”

The veterans tipped their cap to Purdy, knowing that they might not have even had a shot at the Super Bowl if Purdy hadn’t played as well as he did over the final months of the season.

“He ain’t got nothing to be sad about,” Warner said. “He’s the reason we even got to this game. When Jimmy went down against the Dolphins, like we didn’t know what our season was going to be.

“He came in and did a heck of a job. He’s the reason we’re here right now. And like I said, unfortunately, what happened, him getting hurt and Josh getting hurt, we just couldn’t do enough to find a way to win.”

McCaffrey added, “(Purdy) was a warrior. He kept doing what he was supposed to do. It’s tough when you can’t throw, but everyone was still dialed in and trying to make the next play.”

Joe Staley mixes it up

Retired former 49ers left tackle Joe Staley won’t ever get the chance to face off against New York Giants rookie linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux on the football field, but on Sunday he took the opportunity to give Thibodeaux a pancake block in Twitter form.

Thibodeaux made a wisecrack about the 49ers’ performance on Sunday, tweeting “Way this game look we might be better than the 49ers” after losing to the Eagles 38-7 the week before. Staley didn’t appreciate Thibodeaux’s remarks and weighed in with a harsh comeback.