REPORTS- 49ERS’ JIMMY GAROPPOLO EXCUSED FROM MANDATORY MINICAMP AS DEEBO SAMUEL ATTENDS.
Samuel requested a trade back in April but 49ers GM John Lynch said he ‘couldn’t imagine’ that happening.
Jimmy Garoppolo was excused from the San Francisco 49ers’ mandatory minicamp this week as he continues to rehab his shoulder but disgruntled wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who previously requested a trade earlier in the offseason, is expected to attend, reports say.
Sources said Garoppolo, who underwent surgery back in March, was excused by the Niners from participating in this week’s mandatory camp, according to multiple reports.
His absence comes as no surprise amid ongoing talks of a likely trade.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said back in May that even prior to Garoppolo’s surgery, the plan was to eventually work a trade – although nothing is certain.
“Nothing’s changed since the surgery, we knew where we were at before that, and then he got the surgery, so everything went on hold,” he said, according to ESPN. “I expect him at some time, most likely to be traded, but who knows. It’s not a guarantee and it’s been exactly on hold when that happened. And when he is healthy, we’ll see what happens.”
Meanwhile, Deebo Samuel was expected to attend team practice this week, according to the NFL Network, despite previously requesting a trade without explanation back in April.
The 49ers general manager, John Lynch, said at the time that he couldn’t imagine a scenario where the team trades Samuel, and he remained confident that both sides could figure out a long-term contract.
“I can’t ever imagine wanting to move on from Deebo,” Lynch said. “We’ve got nothing but love for him and nothing but appreciation for what he’s brought, but you just don’t let guys like that walk, so I can’t envision a scenario where we would.”
An All-Pro player last season, Samuel totaled 1,770 yards from scrimmage and rushed for eight touchdowns with the 49ers. He also led the league with 18.2 yards per catch, earned 1,405 receiving yards, and scored a combined 14 touchdowns.
