San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is expecting a trade this offseason, and is hopeful that the Niners are able to work out a deal that would send the veteran signal caller to a winning situation.
“It’s been a hell of a ride,” Garoppolo said addresssing 49ers fans, according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. “I love you guys. See ya.”
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch spoke following the conclusion of the season, which came when the Niners lost on Sunday to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game, and have promised to be communicative with Garoppolo during their process, which includes seeing if they can financially retain Garoppolo, or if that is something that they even want to explore.
“If we knew exactly what was happening, we would have told Jimmy,” Shanahan said. “But this season just ended and we’ve got a great, young quarterback who was a rookie and we have a great quarterback here who is a veteran. … I’ve got the ultimate respect for Jimmy and I’m very excited about Trey. That’s where we’re at right now.
“So, we’re in a situation where we’ve got to make some tough decisions that won’t be easy. But I’m happy about that. That means you’ve got the best scenario going and that’s why we’ve got to put a lot of thought into this. And Jimmy will know everything as we go.”
Garoppolo fully expects to be traded this offseason.
“I was talking to John yesterday about finding the right destination and whatever the future holds, just doing it the right way,” Garoppolo said. “I’ve got a long career ahead of me. I’m excited about it. I’m excited about the opportunities to come. I just want to go to a place where they want to win. That’s really what I’m in this game for. I’m here to play football, win football games and as long as I’ve got that and good people around me, I think the rest will take care of itself.”
“As far as the whole trade situation, John has been very clear with it,” Garoppolo said. “I think they’re trying to do the best for me, I’m trying to do the best for them and we’re working together. We haven’t really made too much progress on it, but I think things will start happening here pretty quickly.”
Pittsburgh, Washington, New Orleans, Denver and Tampa Bay all appear to be immediate landing spots for Garoppolo.
