QB Jimmy Garoppolo Press Conference

QB Jimmy Garoppolo

Press Conference – September 1, 2022

San Francisco 49ers

Does this feel a little weird right now?

“Just getting back into the swing of things, I think. It’ll take a couple days to get back into it, but no, it’s nice to see you guys again, man. It’s been a while.”

When we spoke to you last, it was February 1^st and there was some question about whether you would need surgery on your thumb. And the thought was that your shoulder would heal on its own. Can you kind of take us through the timeline on how things proceeded from that point forward?

“Yeah well, it actually turned out the other way. The thumb wasn’t as serious as the shoulder was. The thumb kind of tacked down. We did rehab and stuff like that, but it really took care of itself. Didn’t need surgery or anything like that, so that was nice. But the shoulder we tried to do. I really don’t like to get surgery if I don’t have to, so I was really in the thought of I could rehab this thing. I played three, four games on it, whatever. I think I could get through this after about three, four weeks of that, it just wasn’t happening, wasn’t working and we were like, alright, we have to get the surgery. So that’s when we made that choice and I’m happy the way it worked out. I don’t think it was the exact way I wanted it to work out, but everything happens for a reason.”

In making that choice, were you aware that, okay, this could really scuttle any trade scenario that was happening?

“Yeah, you know in the back of your head that that could happen, but you have to take care of your body. 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.”

What was this whole period of limbo like for you? It seemed like you could have asked for something or the 49ers could have done something, but –?

“Yeah, it was weird. It was different than any situation I’ve ever been in. I’ve been in some weird ones too. So that’s saying something, but no, I think things worked out for the best. It was a lot of ups and downs, rocky roads here and there, but I think throughout the whole thing, me, I’m happy with where I’m at, happy to be with the Niners. I think Niners are happy to have me back and I think things are working out pretty well.”

You report to training camp on time, you’re out there during some practices running, at what point did it cross your mind and become a conscious thing? Like, you know what, I could end up back here?

“It really wasn’t on my mind to be completely honest. I was training out here. I had to be here, so I was here for that reason, but I don’t know. I was just trying to get my body right. Like I was saying, getting the shoulder right. I felt very confident out there and I knew that I was ready to roll. I just needed to figure out where it was. And things kind of fell into place these last couple days, really. Just right before it all happened.”

Why didn’t you at any point, just say, ‘Hey, I’ve, I’ve done some good stuff here. Release me, let me go find a place’?

“That just wasn’t the way I wanted to go. There was a thought of that at one point, trust me there was, but that came and went and I don’t know things just kind of kept falling into place. And I’m one of those people that I don’t really want to ruffle the feathers too much here and there and I kind of want to just go with the flow. And that’s kind of the way the training camp was going and I was happy with it. And like I said, things worked out and I’m happy now.”

There was a deadline here essentially for this to happen. What made you want to come back here specifically versus, hey, they could have released you and you could’ve explored those other options?

“A lot of things, actually. I think just the opportunity to be with the same team. A team that I’m familiar with. Offense, I’m familiar with. Coaches, players, all that stuff really played a big role in it. Seeing the other opportunities that were out there and you weigh the pros and cons of everything. Trust me. There was a lot of back and forth going on just with other teams and what I wanted my future to look like. And so, this is what I wanted. I’m happy the way it worked out. And it’s just the familiarity, I think was a big part of it.”

When you’re doing that, you mentioned the future, how much are you thinking of what is best for me to position me next offseason to go?

“Yeah, you always have to think about that. It’s as much as you’re in it for the wins and everything like that, you have to look into the future a little bit, contract situations and all that. And I think everybody does that to a certain degree and you have to be smart in that sense of it, but at the end of the day, I’m a 49er right now and I’m happy about that.”

You had the ability to talk to other teams this summer. Was there ever a situation where a team came to you and said, we’d want to trade for you under a contract reduction, did it come to that point with any team?

“Not to that degree. A little different verbiage, I guess you could say, but there was a lot of discussions with other teams.”

Did you check with QB Trey Lance just to make sure he was okay with it or did you just know he’d be okay with it?

“Yeah, just talking to [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] and [general manager] John [Lynch], they were pretty clear about it. Didn’t directly talk to Trey about it, but Kyle and John said that they had talked to him and everything. And, me and Trey, honestly, I know that a lot of stuff gets made in the media, but we have a good relationship, man. So everyone can say what they want, but we went through it last year and it is very similar to this situation, so it’s not like we haven’t done it before.”

It never happens like this though where a former starter comes back and stays as the backup. Is it a little bit of a blow to your ego? Is it a little bit tough to kind of wrap your mind around you are no longer to starter, you won a lot of big games here and you’re coming back as a backup?

“If that’s going to take a blow to your ego, you have to check your ego a little bit, but no, I think you have to know who you are in this league. Who you are as a player, who you are as a person and I think that’s going to carry you a long way. So that’s why I’m really not too concerned about that.”

Is your shoulder 100% game ready and recovered or are you still ramping that up?

“Just with practice every day it’ll help a little bit more and more. Just get more and more used to it, but yeah, I feel good with it. I feel very confident. I’m happy with where it’s at.”