Jimmy G is good as gone, right? Well, don’t close that door just yet.
Kyle Shanahan addressed reporters Tuesday in Santa Clara, with one week to go before 53-man rosters are set and base salaries become guaranteed. For now, Jimmy Garoppolo and his $24.2 base salary are still on the books for San Francisco.
Asked if there’s a possibility that Garoppolo could be kept on the team as a backup, Shanahan said, “I think any scenario is possible.”
Shanahan is usually laser-focused on the task at hand and said he hasn’t put much thought into how the situation will play out by next Tuesday.
“I don’t know what I’ll do that day,” Shanahan said. “Probably decide when it comes.”
Garoppolo remains working out on his own accord while staying away from the team practices. It appears the Cleveland Browns are content with Jacoby Brissett under center while DeShaun Watson is suspended for the first 11 games of the regular season. The Seattle Seahawks are also viewed as a possible destination, but there haven’t been recent rumblings as the franchise moves forward with Drew Lock.
If Garoppolo is eventually released, he’s probably going to generate interest but get paid far less than the $24.2 million he is currently slated to earn in 2022. The relationship has been amicable – if awkward – by all accounts throughout training camp, but it’d be ironic if the 49ers somehow brought back Jimmy G to back up Trey Lance this fall. He’d also have some catching up to do on this year’s playbook.
Shanahan added that Garoppolo continues to look good in his throwing sessions.
“I communicate with Jimmy all the time,” Shanahan said. “He looks the same as he always has. He always looks really good. He looks the exact same.”
Speaking of Lance, he’s expected to play in the first half of Thursday’s preseason finale against the Houston Texans after sitting out Saturday’s contest against the Minnesota Vikings.
“I haven’t decided (his playing time) exactly,” Shanahan said. “I want them to get out there definitely, the ones.. We’re gonna talk about it as a staff after we watch this practice and stuff. I plan on playing those guys, but I haven’t decided exactly how much. I know they won’t go past the first half. It’ll be the first half at the most.”
Shanahan also said second-year running back Elijah Mitchell – who had taken the lion’s shares of reps with the No. 1 offense when healthy – is “on schedule” to play in Week 1 as he deals with a hamstring strain. Shanahan said “there’s a chance” offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey could miss Week 1 as he recovers from knee irritation he suffered in the preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers.
