HC Kyle Shanahan: 49ers ‘expect’ Jimmy Garoppolo will be traded, but ‘that’s not a guarantee’

The only thing seemingly for sure about San Francisco 49ers veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo ahead of the Memorial Day weekend is that he’s still recovering from the surgery he had in March to repair a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder. Now, 2021 rookie Trey Lance sits atop the depth chart for springtime workouts. 

Garoppolo has routinely been linked in rumors with a Carolina Panthers side allegedly looking for an upgrade over Sam Darnold, but it’s thought no team will trade for the 30-year-old before he can resume throwing in late June or early July. While speaking with reporters on Tuesday, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear that shopping Garoppolo to would-be buyers this summer remains the plan. 

“Nothing’s changed since his surgery,” Shanahan said of Garoppolo’s status, according to David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone. “You know where we were at before that, and then he got surgery, so everything went on hold. I expect him, at some time, most likely, to be traded, but who knows? That’s not a guarantee, and it’s been on hold [since] that happened.”

Shanahan’s latest comments seem to indicate he has no concerns about Lance’s “arm fitness” or about the 22-year-old’s ability to win the biggest games on the schedule this coming fall. If anything, it sounds as if Garoppolo would be stashed as a backup on San Francisco’s roster if he’s not traded before Week 1 in September.