Steve Young Expects the 49ers to Release Jimmy Garoppolo

Young's logic certainly holds water, but he makes one key assumption.

Even Steve Young thinks the 49ers won't find a trade partner for Jimmy Garoppolo.

Young went on KNBR in San Francisco recently and said what he thinks will happen to Garoppolo. Here's what he said.

YOUNG: "You heard Jed York say in April -- not that this is a good analogy -- that Joe and Steve were together for four or five years, so we can have Jimmy and Trey (Lance) be together. So you know that in their minds, they're open to (Garoppolo returning).

"But if Jimmy requests a release, I can't imagine a scenario where they tell him, 'No, you're going to stay.' And I can't imagine Jimmy not getting to the place where he passes his physical that he doesn't ask for his release. 

"I think Jimmy probably will pass his physical and then ask to be released. When that happens, I can't imagine a scenario where they don't give it to him. Maybe I'm wrong. But if they keep Jimmy, do not make it a referendum on Trey necessarily, and don't think they're afraid of the awkwardness, because they're not."

GRANT'S TAKE: Young's logic certainly holds water, but he makes one key assumption: that Garoppolo will pass a physical before the beginning of the regular season. What if he doesn't pass a physical until after Week 1? Would he request a release before he's healthy?

And who's to say Garoppolo would refuse to be a $27 million backup for a year? I'm guessing Young wouldn't want to do that, but he's not Garoppolo. And if the 49ers release Garoppolo, he won't make anywhere near $27 million this year on the open market.

I still have a feeling Garoppolo will be on the team all year just so the 49ers can get a third-round compensatory pick when he becomes a free agent. I hope I'm wrong.