"We won in spite of you, not because of you" - Stephen A. Smith roasts Jimmy Garoppolo after QB agrees to be backup for 49ers

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was rumored to have been traded by the San Francisco 49ers throughout the offseason, but nothing came of it. The quarterback agreed to a new deal that is worth $6.5 million and is fully guaranteed.

His deal also includes incentives that can move his money up to $16 million along with no-trade and no-tag clauses. While the contract gives San Francisco a backup for Trey Lance, Stephen A. Smith criticized Garoppolo for accepting the deal.

Smith said the 49ers won games in spite of him, not due to him:

“Oh, listen to me. 33 and 14 as a starter. A Super Bowl appearance. Two NFC Championship game appearances. Fresh off the won. And no one wanted him as a starter. That is a very bad law for you, the individual because what it says is we won in spite of you, not because of you.

"Kyle Shanahan is considered. I mean, take away the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl and this is the golden boy.”

Smith also alluded to the fact that the team drafted Trey Lance after their Super Bowl appearance in the 2019 season, which says a lot about Jimmy Garoppolo:

“Not only is this somebody starting for the head of Jimmy G. It was the dude that was drafted when Jimmy G took him to the Super Bowl. They drafted Trey Lance after Jimmy G took them in the Super Bowl. This is an indictment against Jimmy G.”

First Take

@FirstTake

.@stephenasmith is not a fan of Jimmy Garoppolo restructuring his contract with the 49ers:

"[He] is fresh off a trip to the NFC Championship game and nobody wanted him!"

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.@stephenasmith is not a fan of Jimmy Garoppolo restructuring his contract with the 49ers:

"[He] is fresh off a trip to the NFC Championship game and nobody wanted him!" https://t.co/zdJz9RnupW

San Francisco traded for the quarterback in 2017 and he has started 45 games for the team. He was initially owed $24.2 million this season. That and the offseason shoulder surgery are two possible reasons the 49ers couldn’t trade him.

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Jimmy Garoppolo as Trey Lance’s backup

San Francisco 49ers v Arizona Cardinals

Since the team made the decision to keep Jimmy Garoppolo, does it mean they’re fully confident with Lance taking over under center? It was supposed to be Lance’s team but with the return of the former starter as his backup, fans could be wondering if Lance is the guy.

General manager John Lynch traded up to draft Lance as the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Falcoholic

@TheFalcoholic

"This is definitely Trey Lance's team," said Jimmy Garoppolo, interrupting Lance's post-game press conference and squeezing his shoulder harder than seemed necessary. "It's like I'm not even here." twitter.com/RapSheet/statu…

Ian Rapoport

@RapSheet

The #49ers and QB Jimmy Garoppolo are finalizing a new contract that will make him the highest paid backup in the NFL, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo. A solution that keeps Jimmy G on the roster while making clear it’s Trey Lance’s team going forward.

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The #49ers and QB Jimmy Garoppolo are finalizing a new contract that will make him the highest paid backup in the NFL, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo. A solution that keeps Jimmy G on the roster while making clear it’s Trey Lance’s team going forward. https://t.co/HZJf5Zc48m

"This is definitely Trey Lance's team," said Jimmy Garoppolo, interrupting Lance's post-game press conference and squeezing his shoulder harder than seemed necessary. "It's like I'm not even here." twitter.com/RapSheet/statu…

When you draft a player, especially a quarterback that's selected high in a draft, they’re destined to be a starter within a certain timeframe. In this case, San Francisco are moving forward with Lance in his second season in the NFL.

As Jimmy Garoppolo looms behind Trey Lance as a backup, we’ll see if there’s any controversy at quarterback this season for the 49ers.

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