Following months of speculation, Jimmy Garoppolo will begin the 2022 season as the backup quarterback for the franchise he’s been with since 2017: the 49ers. The team insisted the veteran quarterback would not be released, and after failing to find a trade partner for him, the two sides agreed to a restructured one-year deal that will make Garoppolo a free agent after the 2022–23 season.
Garoppolo, who had not been with the team during much of the offseason and training camp, rejoins as the QB2 behind second-year signal caller Trey Lance, who the team has locked in as the starter after a year behind Garoppolo in 2021.
It would be natural for the 2021 first-round pick to worry about the veteran. Garoppolo led San Francisco to a Super Bowl appearance and is just months removed from a trip to the NFC championship game. But Lance appears to be embracing his return, posting a 49ers quarterbacks graphic to his Instagram story featuring the veteran as well as third-string quarterback Brock Purdy. He tagged both players in the public post.
