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USA TODAY
After months of inaction following attempts to trade one-time franchise quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, the San Francisco 49ers and the veteran have agreed to a restructured contract.
Garoppolo, who was due to earn $26 million this season, will now draw a base salary of $6.5 million. However, his new contract features incentives that make it possible for the 30-year-old quarterback to earn up to $16 million, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Now the 49ers can move forward with second-year pro Trey Lance as their starter, and Garoppolo as their backup.
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Garoppolo had spent the last 4 1/2 seasons as the 49ers’ starter, but he missed all but three games in 2018 with a torn ACL. The following season, Garoppolo helped lead San Francisco to the Super Bowl, where the 49ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. Garoppolo missed all but six games with ankle injuries in 2020. He helped the 49ers return to the NFC championship game after appearing in 15 games in 2021, but San Francisco lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.
San Francisco in 2021 traded three first-round picks and a third-round pick to move into the third overall spot to secure the rights to Lance with intentions of grooming him behind Garoppolo. Team officials then planned to move forward with Lance this offseason and hoped to trade Garoppolo, who had offseason surgery on his throwing shoulder. Those efforts proved in vain, partially because of the salary owed to Garoppolo, and partly because of the uncertainty of his recovery. Garoppolo was cleared for action early in training camp, but he did not play in any preseason games.
There had been speculation that the Cleveland Browns or New Orleans Saints would pursue Garoppolo, however, those negotiations never materialized, and now, rather than cutting Garoppolo by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline to save money against the cap, the two sides have agreed to rework his contract, preserving their union.
