When the 49ers first tried to trade for Jimmy Garoppolo early in the 2017 offseason, general manager John Lynch was rebuffed by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who told Lynch that Garoppolo was unavailable.
But after the Patriots traded Jimmy G to the 49ers months later, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported that Lynch asked Belichick if he'd be willing to trade Tom Brady since he was unwilling to trade Jimmy Garoppolo.
"Lynch calls back and actually asks Bell Belichick, 'All right, so if Garoppolo's off limits, would you trade us Tom Brady?''" Glazer said in November.