SANTA CLARA, Calif. — For as surprised as the San Francisco 49ers were that they were able to retain quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on a significantly reduced contract, that paled in comparison to how Garoppolo himself thought his dramatic offseason would end.
On Thursday, Garoppolo spoke to Bay Area media for the first time since Feb. 1 and the first time since signing a revised one-year contract to stay in San Francisco on Monday.
It's not a position Garoppolo envisioned himself returning to after saying an emotional goodbye to the team, its fans and media in the winter.
That's because, throughout a turbulent offseason that included right shoulder surgery, Garoppolo always believed an opportunity to start elsewhere would materialize. "[Returning] really wasn't on my mind to be completely honest," Garoppolo said. «I was training out here.