Raiders' Jimmy Garoppolo opens up about 49ers drafting Trey Lance

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo can now speak openly about the San Francisco 49ers, his former club, drafting QB Trey Lance with the third overall pick in 2021. 

"That was tougher than this past year, honestly," Garoppolo recently admitted about the experience while speaking with NFL insider Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle. "You’re always gonna be dealt a hard hand at some point, and you’ve just got to make the best of it, and that’s what I’ve tried to do. That was a hard time. But I had some good people around me to lean on. The brothers in the locker room, those guys played a big role. I don’t think the fans always saw all that stuff, but those guys really picked me up when I was down sometimes." 

When healthy, Garoppolo remained atop the depth chart over Lance throughout the 2021 season and guided the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game, where they fell to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams. He then underwent shoulder surgery in March 2022 and lost the starting job to Lance without receiving an opportunity to compete for the gig. 

In the end, Garoppolo remained with the 49ers for the 2022 campaign via a restructured deal that proved to be a lifesaver for the club after Lance went down with a serious ankle injury in Week 2. Garoppolo's final season with San Francisco ended prematurely when he suffered a broken left foot in early December.

"That’s why I love those guys in the locker room," Garoppolo continued about his former teammates. "All the crap that we went through for four to five years, whatever it was, we all stayed together in the locker room, and I thought that’s what made us such a tight group." 

2022 rookie sensation Brock Purdy ultimately replaced both Lance and Garoppolo as San Francisco's QB1. Jimmy G., meanwhile, signed with the Raiders earlier this year and seemingly is good to go following offseason foot surgery.