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.
The graphic backs up a comment from coach Kyle Shanahan about the relationship between the two quarterbacks earlier this week.
“When I told Trey that Jimmy’s going to come back, he’s like, ‘Awesome,” Shanahan said, according ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “’That dude was awesome for me last year. I can’t wait to be the same way.’”
Garoppolo started 15 of 17 games for the 49ers last season, completing 68.3% of his throws for 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Lance appeared in six games, starting two, and completed 57.7% of his passes for 603 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions, adding 168 rushing yards and a touchdown on 38 carries.
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