Niner Noise

● By Peter Panacy
For all intents and purposes, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo likely just played his final game with the San Francisco 49ers, a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the 2022 NFC Championship game. Sure, there might be a slim chance the Niners retain Jimmy G next season and delay the inevitable starting reign of their top pick from last year’s NFL Draft, quarterback Trey Lance, for another season. But even if that was a realistic plausibility, San Francisco’s need to re-sign and extend other talents on the roster means freeing up the bulk of the $27 million owed to Garoppolo in 2022 will be a top priority. Additionally, with the 49ers surrendering first- and third-round picks in 2022 to get Lance, general manager John Lynch would like to recoup some draft capital this offseason, and moving Garoppolo helps with that.