At long last, the 49ers have secured their franchise quarterback. The team on Thursday agreed to terms with Jimmy Garoppolo to a five-year, $137.5 million contract, according to multiple reports. It makes him the richest QB in history, and reportedly pays him the most money ever received over the first three seasons of the contract, just short of $90 million.
In a deal that sent shockwaves throughout the league, first-time GM John Lynch sent a second-round pick to the New England Patriots for Garoppolo on October 30, 2017, beating the trade deadline.
After sitting behind rookie C.J. Beathard, Garoppolo appeared in six games for the 49ers, starting five of them. In that time, he went 5-0, defeating three playoff teams in the process in the Titans, Jaguars and Rams.
The quarterback completed 67.8 percent of his passes, had a 96.2 rating, and pulled off two fourth-quarter comebacks.
Now it's time for the 49ers to build around Garoppolo, which Lynch previously expressed his eagerness to do.
“(The deal) frees you up in the draft to go focus on building your team around (Garoppolo),” Lynch told sports radio host Colin Cowherd in late December on FS1. “And that’s something we’re very much looking forward to doing.”
The 49ers remain one the richest teams heading into the 2018 free-agent period, and should be very active.
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