Cutdown day for NFL clubs to reduce rosters to 53 players is less than a week away, and Jimmy Garoppolo remains a member of the San Francisco 49ers.
The Niners expected to part ways with the former starting quarterback after the 2021 season, handing the reins to Trey Lance. But Garoppolo's offseason shoulder surgery scuttled trade talks in the spring. With the season fast approaching, San Francisco has a choice to make if no trade materializes soon: Cut him or keep the QB and his $24.2 million base salary on the roster.
The 49ers brass continues to play coy with its plans for Garoppolo.
"I don't know what I'll do that day," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said recently, via NBC Sports Bay Area. "(We'll) probably decide when it comes.
"I think any scenario is possible."
While the Niners don't seem excited about cutting Garoppolo and seeing him wind up in, say, Seattle, deadlines spur action in the NFL. Next Tuesday will be a big decision for the 49ers. Keep the veteran on a big salary or cut him loose for nothing. The latter seems destined, but San Francisco insists it's not a given.
As for Garoppolo's health, Shanahan confirmed he's looked good when throwing.
"I communicate with Jimmy all the time," the coach said. "He looks the same as he always has. He always throws it really good. So, he looks the exact same."
With Jimmy G not participating in team meetings and reportedly not even having the current playbook, it feels a fait accompli that the QB will be cut in the coming week unless a surprising trade situation shakes loose in the final week of preseason action.
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