Lynch told Garoppolo 49ers would draft QB: 'It's hard to keep you on the field'
Before drafting Trey Lance third overall this year, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch was honest with Jimmy Garoppolo, explaining that the veteran signal-caller's recent injury issues were a factor in the team's decision to select another quarterback.
"From Day 1, we've been very up-front with Jimmy," Lynch said, according to Kevin Patra of NFL.com. "When I went to Jimmy, I told him the truth. Like, 'Look, we have made a decision that we're going to pursue a quarterback this offseason. You know, Jimmy, when you've played, you've been tremendous, and the record speaks to that. We feel like there's room for growth. The biggest thing has been it's hard to keep you on the field.' That's not an easy thing to tell a player, but Jimmy took it tremendously."
Garoppolo has missed 23 games since joining the 49ers via trade from the New England Patriots midway through the 2017 campaign. He appeared in just three games in 2018 due to a torn ACL and played in only six contests last season due to an ankle injury.
The 29-year-old is 24-9 as a starter with the 49ers, including the playoffs. He's completed 67.5% of his pass attempts for 3,795 yards and 24 touchdowns against 13 interceptions per 16 games played since moving to San Francisco.
The 49ers reportedly would consider moving Garoppolo this offseason in exchange for a first-round pick, but even after Lance's arrival, Lynch said he's focused on keeping both quarterbacks.
"My other commitment was, 'But here's the good news, Jimmy. We don't want you to go anywhere,'" Lynch said. "'We want you to be here, and our ownership has made the commitment that we can do that. We can fit it in our cap, and we think it's a good situation for you; probably not the one you ultimately want to hear. I'm sure you want to be the long-term guy. There's a flip side to that. You still could be.'"
Garroppolo recently said he's ready to "help Trey out" in the transition from college to the NFL.
Lynch said in February he has no doubt that a healthy Garoppolo will be San Francisco's starter in 2021.