For several months, it looked like San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was going to be traded from the team before the start of the 2022-23 NFL season. But after a tumultuous offseason, the former Super Bowl starter is back with the team for one more year as the backup to second-year quarterback Trey Lance, and he’s happy about it.
In his first media appearance since last season’s playoffs, Garoppolo revealed that while it was certainly a strange offseason, he is still pleased to be back with the team, saying “things are working out pretty well.”
“Me, I’m happy with where I’m at,” Garoppolo said, according to 49ers Webzone. “Happy to be with the Niners. I think the Niners are happy to have me back. I think things are working out pretty well.”
While the Niners originally hoped to trade Garoppolo following last season, his offseason shoulder surgery put a wrench in those plans as it tanked his trade value. Garoppolo knew that could happen, but he opted for the surgery anyway.
“You know in the back of your head that could happen, but you’ve got to take care of your body,” Garoppolo shared. “If your body’s not going to be able to go out there and perform, then what are you worth? So I had to get that taken care of. That was priority one, and the rest took care of itself, I think.”
Garoppolo likely expected to be the starting quarterback of a new team by now. Instead, he’ll be the highest-paid backup quarterback in the NFL.
