49ers’ Head Coach Kyle Shanahan Says QB Jimmy Garoppolo Won’t Return in 2023

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in 2017.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in 2017. Photo by Valerie Shoaps/CSM/REX/Shutterstock (9301241h)

Veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was as good as gone with the San Francisco 49ers last season but ended up staying with the franchise and even ended up starting 10 games before going down with an injury. But according to the 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan, a similar scenario won’t happen in the future.

Shanahan spoke with reporters earlier this week and was asked at one point whether Garoppolo might return to the team for the 2023 NFL season.

“No, I don’t see any scenario of that,” Shanahan responded.

San Francisco was ready to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo after the 2021 season, installing second-year signal caller Trey Lance as their starter. Garoppolo was kept away from the team and was placed on the trade block. But despite their best efforts, the 49ers found a hard time moving the veteran as he was recovering from shoulder surgery.

Eventually, the two sides agreed on a reworked contract that would keep Garoppolo with the organization for one more season. He would serve as Lance’s backup for a year before hitting free agency.

But just two weeks into the 2022 campaign, Garoppolo was the 49ers’ starter again. Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury, which prompted the San Francisco to turn to the 31-year-old. Garoppolo would go on to lead the team to a 7-3 record, throwing for 2,437 yards, 16 touchdowns, and only four interceptions, before suffering a season-ending injury himself.

While Garoppolo turned out to be great insurance for the 49ers in 2022, the team probably believes that they already have one in rookie Brock Purdy. The “Mr. Irrelevant” took over after Garoppolo went down and had seven straight wins before a loss in the NFC Championship that included Purdy playing most of the game with torn UCL in his elbow.

Gunner's favorite movies are Pulp Fiction, Iron Man (just the first one), and every James Bond film ever made. He's learning TV and cinema and hoping to always enjoy movies as he does now.