49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo expects trade, wants to play for winner

Feb. 2 (UPI) -- San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo expects to be traded this off-season and wants to play for a team that wants to "win," he told reporters.

Garoppolo, 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan met with reporters Tuesday at a news conference. The 49ers' 2021-22 season ended with a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game Sunday in Inglewood, Calif.

Garoppolo, the subject of trade rumors for the last few off-seasons, said he spoke with Lynch and Shanahan about his future and expects more discussions in the days to come.

"I was talking to John [Monday] just about finding the right destination and whatever the future holds just doing it the right way," Garoppolo said. "I've got a long career ahead of me. So I'm excited about it.

"I'm excited about the opportunities to come. I just want to go to a place where they want to win. I mean, that's really what I'm in this game for. I'm here to play football here, to win football games. And as long as I've got that and good people around me, I think the rest will take care of itself."

Garoppolo, 30, completed 68.3% of his throws for 3,810 yards, 20 scores and 12 interceptions in 15 starts this season. He joined the NFC West franchise in a 2017 trade from the New England Patriots.

He signed a 5-year, $137.5 million contract extension with the 49ers in 2018. Garoppolo helped the 49ers reach the Super Bowl in 2019-20, but they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. He missed at least half the 49ers' games in three of his five seasons, due to injuries.

The 49ers traded up in the 2021 NFL Draft to select former North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance with the No. 3 overall pick. Lance started just two games in 2021.

Garoppolo is set to receive a base salary of $24.2 million in 2022 and become an unrestricted free agent in 2023. Despite his expectations for a trade, Garoppolo said he would "never close the door completely" to remain with the team.

"I think there's a possibility of anything," Garoppolo said. "I think just, we need to have those conversations here in the next couple days, next couple weeks and really get the ball rolling on that."

Garoppolo ended the news conference by saying he would "miss" the reporters and 49ers fans.