It's been a foregone conclusion that the San Francisco 49ers would either trade or release former starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo prior to the start of the 2022 NFL season, but Niners coach Kyle Shanahan pumped the brakes on that assumption on Tuesday.

In a press conference, Shanahan was asked if Garoppolo could still end up on the Niners' 53-man roster to start the season. Shanahan responded, saying “I think any scenario is possible.”

That comes on the heels of 49ers CEO Jed York saying that the Niners would welcome Garoppolo back to the team.

Since being medically cleared to return to practice, Garoppolo has been spotted at the 49ers facility unfurling passes before and during practice, no matter how awkward that might be.

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Does Garoppolo look like he's back to 100 percent?

“He looks the same as he always has,” Kyle Shanahan added in the press conference. “He always throws it really good. So, he looks the exact same.”

Although the 49ers have kept the door open for Jimmy G to return to the franchise, it's still highly unlikely that happens. The Niners are still holding out hope that a team will want to acquire the signal-caller. If the 49ers don't leave open the option of Garoppolo returning then they'll lose any scraps of leverage they have left and will be forced to either keep Garoppolo or release him into the open market. Of course, every NFL team knows this and will call San Francisco's bluff.

Garoppolo is slated for a $26.95 million cap hit this season if the 49ers do keep him on the roster, which would make Brett Favre happy.