The quarterback carousel spins and spins and spins. One man, however, doesn’t seem to matter: 49ers star Jimmy Garoppolo is still waiting for a suitable trade. A covered-up surgery is unlikely to help the situation.

San Francisco/Munich – Deshaun Watson to Cleveland, Russell Wilson becomes a Bronco and Matt Ryan leaves the Falcons – in recent weeks, the quarterback carousel has spun faster than ever before.

Besides Baker Mayfield, however, another highly traded trade candidate is waiting to jump ship: 49ers star Jimmy Garoppolo.

With most searching teams having found their playmaker for 2022, the situation doesn’t necessarily get any better for the longtime starter. Covered-up surgery isn’t helping either.

Jimmy Garoppolo: 49ers didn’t know about surgery

As “ProFootballTalk” reports, the 30-year-old reportedly underwent surgery on his shoulder in early March.

Generally, there’s nothing unusual about this issue, there’s really no better time than the offseason for such procedures, especially on important players.

However, it becomes problematic if the player concerned does not discuss the operation with his team – as apparently happened in the case of Jimmy Garoppolo.

San Francisco 49ers: Clear Plan at the Quarterback Position

The days of longtime backup Tom Brady, who came to San Francisco in 2017 and led the storied franchise to the Super Bowl in 2019, in California have been numbered since last April.

General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan took over the third draft position with a trade at the time, selecting promising rookie Trey Lance.

The club’s quarterback future was thus secured early, but it was too early for an immediate commitment. The 49ers’ clear plan was therefore to give the experienced Garoppolo at least one year before the hopefully more mature Lance would step into the role.

This one year is now over, a trade of the former hopeful Garoppolo seemed to be a done deal. He has yet to materialise.

Jimmy Garoppolo: Lucrative trade offer – but is the risk too high?

There are said to be offers, as Lynch also revealed to “ProFootballTalk” a few days ago. A franchise has been courting Garoppolo’s services with the equivalent of two second-round picks, he said.

The 49ers are unlikely to get a better deal now. Even though former teammate Mark Nzeocha speaks highly of the playmaker in an interview with ran: “He can definitely play very good football and he can help his team win the championship.”

And the soft skills would also fit: “He’s a super guy, so likeable, a good leader.” Nzeocha therefore finds it “a bit unjustified that there is so little interest. “

A quarterback who doesn’t seem capable of his former best performances and has had surgery to boot is just likely to scare off a lot of teams. Two second-round picks are also a high price – former MVP Matt Ryan, for example, moved cheaply to Indianapolis for a third-round pick.

In addition to injury, Garoppolo’s current contract is also likely to be a deterrent: the veteran will earn $25.5 million this year.

The bottom line is that the risk of taking on an expensive playmaker after serious surgery is simply too high.

I’d imagine any potential Jimmy Garoppolo trade suitor would prefer to wait some time post-surgery (which happened yesterday) to be sure the recovery process has started well.

Initial operation feedback: “successful,” but medical due diligence might take at least a couple days

– David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) March 10, 2022

Future in the Bay Area: two options for San Francisco

That leaves San Francisco with two options: Garoppolo continues to play in the Bay Area this season, as a starter or just as a backup behind Lance. Nzeocha can’t imagine the latter: “He’s just too expensive, they can’t keep him.”

Or the 49ers could end the Garoppolo era the hard way and fire the playmaker. It’s a hefty move, but one that could pay off handsomely for general manager John Lynch.

The 30-year-old’s salary is not guaranteed until Game Day 1, so San Francisco can still wait out training camps and the preseason. The dead-cap hit of $1.4 million would also argue for such a move.

Even more important, however, might be the fact that firing Garoppolo would expose a huge $25 million in cap space.

Should the 21-year-old Lance indeed be allowed to take the reins, Lynch could easily provide him with promising help through the money available.

Time on the 49ers’ side

While the 49ers still have time, the club doesn’t have to rush its decision.

The past few weeks have shown that almost nothing is impossible in the NFL. And who knows – maybe a willing buyer for the former hero of the proud franchise will be found after all.