San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said Monday that quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo won't be released despite a trade failing to materialize in the early portion of the offseason.
"I don't foresee that," Lynch said at the NFL's annual meeting, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner. "He's too good a player. I think Jimmy will be playing for us or will be playing for someone else. He's too good of a player not to be."
The veteran was expected to be involved in the flurry of quarterback movement at the start of free agency. But with Garoppolo recovering from right shoulder surgery, Lynch said interested suitors decided to look elsewhere, leaving the signal-caller in limbo.
"I think, ultimately, the teams that we were closest with, the surgery gave them pause and they ended up going in other directions," Lynch said.
Garoppolo isn't expected to be cleared to resume throwing at full strength until before training camp.
San Francisco would gain $25.55 million in cap space by trading Garoppolo now but would only receive that entire saving with a release once he is healthy due to a $7.5-million injury guarantee.
Sophomore signal-caller Trey Lance is widely expected to take over the starting role. Lynch didn't rule out keeping Garoppolo - who's been with the 49ers since 2017 - for the 2022 season, though he declined to say if he'd get a chance to compete with Lance.