More than a month after injuring the UCL in his right thumb, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is preparing for offseason surgery.
Garoppolo initially injured his thumb in the 49ers' Week 16 loss to the Tennessee Titans, but missed just one game before returning to his starting role for the remainder of the season and the 49ers playoff run, which fell one game short of the Super Bowl. According to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, Garoppolo will have reconstructive surgery to repair his UCL "as soon as it can be scheduled."
UCSF Director of Sports Medicine Dr. Nirav Pandya tweeted Monday the typical recovery from UCL surgery is "five-to-six weeks," and performances statistics have shown players are not negatively impacted post-surgery.
"The likelihood is that Jimmy Garoppolo has played his last down with the San Francisco 49ers and this is the best-case scenario for everyone," Rapoport said in a TV report.
After losing 20-17 to the Rams in Sunday's NFC Championship Game at SoFi Stadium, it's widely anticipated the 49ers will move on from Garoppolo and install Trey Lance as their starting quarterback entering the 2022 season. Several players, including Garoppolo, expressed uncertainty about his future with the franchise in the aftermath of the team's season-ending defeat. Monday, a handful of 49ers offered their appreciation for the opportunity to play alongside Garoppolo this year.
"What a fun ride, I (told him) 'I really appreciate you and all of the work you've done,'" center Alex Mack said Monday. "'Great to be your teammate and I just appreciate you' and that's pretty much where we've left it because no one really knows what the future holds."
Rapoport added that some teams interested in acquiring Garoppolo may wait to see that the quarterback has fully recovered from surgery before pursuing a trade.
