Garoppolo says farewell: It’s been a hell of a ride

The final exit interviews happened Tuesday for the 49ers, where Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch, and Jimmy Garoppolo all spoke. Garoppolo’s media availability served as one final goodbye. Here’s how he ended:

“Since I got here, you’ve been awesome. It’s been ups and downs between all of us, but for the most part, you guys have been awesome. You’re a good group to deal with. It’s fun to be around you guys. It’s been a fun ride & I really appreciate you for that.”

Garoppolo thanked the Faithful, the media, and said, “it’s been a hell of a ride. I love you guys. See ya,” as he fought back tears.

The entire interview showed why Garoppolo was so popular in the building and among his teammates. You could tell that Jimmy is genuinely a good human being. For some, it’s challenging to look at him as a person without thinking about the football player. That shouldn’t be an issue.

Jimmy is self-aware, honest, and always respectful. He could have soured on the media at every turn but always took the high road.

Wherever Jimmy goes, I hope he stays healthy and kills it. Based on today, Garoppolo will be playing elsewhere. He said that his reps and the 49ers are working on finding a trade partner.

Garoppolo specifically said, “was talking to John yesterday about finding the right destination” and “I just want to go to a place where they want to win.”

Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Carolina, Indianapolis, Denver, Washington, Vegas, Detroit, Miami, Houston, the Giants, and maybe even Green Bay could all end up needing quarterbacks this offseason.

This is one of the few years there isn’t a sure-fire group of quarterbacks in the draft. That’ll be beneficial for the 49ers, and they’ll be able to maximize Garoppolo’s value by an extra round.

Garoppolo said he’ll see a couple of specialists in the near future. His plan is to avoid surgery to repair the torn ligament in his right thumb. He’ll know more in the next couple of days. He acknowledged that his right thumb has been through a lot in recent weeks.

I imagine this won’t be the last time we discuss where Garoppolo lands in 2022.