49ers Insider David Lombardi Confirms Jimmy Garoppolo’s Teammates Say He’s ‘Really Hard to Get a Hold Of’
After taking the San Francisco 49ers to the NFC Championship Game at the end of the 2021 NFL season, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is the off man out in the Bay Area heading into 2022. Kyle Shanahan is planning on handing the team over to Trey Lance this season, and the local media seems to be helping with that transition. A recent piece in the San Francisco Chronicle painted Garoppolo in an unflattering light, and The Athletic’s 49ers insider David Lombardi confirmed at least part of the report is true.
Jimmy Garoppolo doesn’t respond to teammates’ messages, per reports
Being an NFL quarterback is more than just handing the ball off and throwing it down the field. Successful QBs need to be the leaders of not just the offense or even the team. They need to be the main man for the entire organization.
As the San Francisco 49ers prepare to hand the signal-calling reigns from Jimmy Garoppolo to Trey Lance, reports are coming out that Jimmy G is not an organizational leader.
With the 2022 NFL season less than three weeks away, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Mike Silver published an unflattering piece about the 49ers QB.
The crux of the report is that Garoppolo “disappeared” in the offseason (h/t CBS Sports). His teammates, coaches, and 49ers executives couldn’t reach Jimmy G when he was away from the facility, even in the period right after he signed a five-year, $137.5 million deal in 2018.
It’s unclear where this report came from, but it could make an already soft Jimmy Garoppolo trade market non-existent.
A 49ers insider confirmed Jimmy G’s communications skills are a running joke
While the Jimmy Garoppolo reports seemingly came out of nowhere, The Athletic’s David Lombardi says Jimmy G’s communication skills weren’t a secret around the team.
Appearing on the Pat McAfee Show, Lombardi told McAfee, “I don’t think [the report] has come out of nowhere.”
“George Kittle, for example, has been joking for a couple years that Jimmy G is really hard to get a hold of in the offseason,” Lombardi said. “For those close to the team, this is not surprising. The fact that it’s being made into something this big is surprising.”
Lombardi’s point is that while Jimmy G’s communication skills aren’t great and the subject of a running joke in the 49ers locker room, his teammates don’t think this makes him a bad leader. In fact, Lombardi also shared how, in seasons past, Garoppolo was “the ring leader,” getting 49ers together in the offseason to work out together.
The fact that the Chronicle report seems to be skewed to paint Garoppolo in a bad light makes it even more curious. It could signal that 49ers fans are in for a drama-filled season as Trey Lance tries to become a franchise QB with Garoppolo still waiting in the wings.
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