On Oct. 31, 2017, at the start of Jimmy Garoppolo’s first news conference with the 49ers, the just-acquired quarterback began with a 66-word opening statement that surprised general manager John Lynch.
Lynch, seated to Garoppolo’s right, smiled at his QB and head coach Kyle Shanahan.
“I think Kyle will tell you a great quality of a quarterback is taking charge,” Lynch said. “I thought I was starting, but, hey, have at it, Jimmy.”
On Tuesday, after four-plus years that included a Super Bowl, serious injuries and a lame-duck season he handled gracefully, Garoppolo, 30, bookended his 49ers’ career by upstaging his general manager and head coach again.
Lynch and Shanahan spoke with reporters first, via Zoom, and unsurprisingly declined to say with certainty that Garoppolo had made his 53rd and final start with the franchise Sunday in a 20-17 loss to the Rams in the NFC Championship Game.
They will trade Garoppolo this offseason because they have invested three first-round picks in his replacement, Trey Lance, and clearing out Garoppolo’s $24.2 million 2022 base salary is necessary to address the rest of the roster.
But this is business, of course. The 49ers want to maximize their draft-pick compensation for Garoppolo. And it could help them in negotiations if a trade partner actually believes they’ll keep Garoppolo for another season.
Shanahan said Garoppolo had made their decision whether to trade him “hard” because of his strong season and that “all cards are on the table.”
Said Lynch: “We’ve got a lot to think about, with our team in general, and certainly at that position.”
He made it clear he knew that 2021 would be his last season after the 49ers used the third overall pick to select the bigger-armed, faster, then-20-year-old who was expected to need a season of grooming after playing at North Dakota State.
“It honestly made things simpler in some ways, because it took the weight off my shoulders,” Garoppolo said. “Now it’s just go play football and enjoy this last year with the guys and create as many relationships as I could. And that’s really what I tried to do this year. And thought it worked out pretty well.”
Indeed, Garoppolo did some heavy lifting to rally the 49ers from their 3-5 start by playing arguably the best football of his eight-year career to end the regular season. However, on Sunday night, when the season ended, his voice cracked repeatedly as he spoke with reporters at SoFi Stadium.
On Tuesday, Garoppolo’s voice remained steady, but he admitted he was still struggling with his emotions. The QB who finished the season by playing with a broken right thumb and sprained throwing shoulder was hurting.
Garoppolo spoke with Lynch on Monday about finding the “right destination.” The QB who had a 35-16 record as 49ers starter — the stat his supporters used to silence his vocal critics — said his priority was to land with a team that was committed to winning. Joe Montana, Steve Young, Colin Kaepernick and Garoppolo are the only 49er QBs to win at least four playoff games.
“I just want to go to a place where they want to win,” Garoppolo said. “I mean, that’s really what I’m in this game for. I’m here to play football here, to win football games. And as long as I’ve got that and good people around me, I think the rest will take care of itself.”
Will the 49ers take care of him? Garoppolo was asked if he thought the 49ers would prioritize where he wanted to go in a trade over what they could receive in trade compensation. He expressed optimism.
“I think we’ve done right by each other, just throughout this whole relationship.” Garoppolo said. “They’ve been very up front. John’s been awesome about it, just the communication part of it. I can’t thank them enough for that. I think we’ll work it out one way or another. I don’t know how exactly that will work, but I think both sides will be happy in the end.”
Before Tuesday’s Zoom session, Garoppolo was told he and Trent Williams were co-recipients of the Garry Niver Award, which is given annually to the 49ers’ player who best exemplifies professionalism and cooperation in dealing with the media.
At the end of the session, after the final question, he had a message to share with the reporters and fans to whom he expressed his appreciation.
Perhaps his closing, and his entire news conference, was an act of mild rebellion, considering his GM and head coach clearly want to convey the message he could be staying.
All cards are on the table? Forget that. Garoppolo had his heart on his sleeve.
So more than four years after he surprised Lynch with his first words to reporters as the 49ers’ quarterback, his final words were surprising, and stirring and sweet.
“It’s been a hell of a ride,” he said. “I love you guys.”
Eric Branch covers the 49ers for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: ebranch@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Eric_Branch