Sources: Niners give Garoppolo OK to seek trade
The San Francisco 49ers have given Jimmy Garoppolo‘s agents permission to seek a trade involving the veteran quarterback, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Garoppolo, who is recovering from offseason surgery on his throwing shoulder, has been cleared to start practicing as the Niners prepare for the start of training camp next week, a team source told Schefter.
The Niners are still expected to exercise caution this summer with Garoppolo, who underwent the surgery in March — a procedure that delayed San Francisco’s efforts to trade him.
Niners coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged in May that Garoppolo was “most likely to be traded” but then noted that a trade was “not a guarantee.”
Second-year quarterback Trey Lance has worked as the starter during San Francisco’s offseason program, while Garoppolo, who has been the Niners’ starter since late in the 2017 season, has spent most of his offseason rehabbing in Southern California. Garoppolo was excused from the team’s mandatory minicamp in early June after not taking part in the team’s offseason conditioning program.
Veterans are scheduled to report to Niners training camp Tuesday.
Garoppolo, 30, is entering the final season of his contract and is scheduled to count $26.95 million against the 2022 salary cap. That deal included a no-trade clause for the 2021 season only, and the 49ers have the right to trade him to any team of their choosing.
An acquiring team would take on a $24.2 million salary if it traded for Garoppolo right now, but that salary is not guaranteed and interested teams could potentially work with him on a contract extension that knocks down the salary number in exchange for guarantees.
