The Mystery Still looms Around Jimmy Garoppolo: Best Landing Spot?

Aug 6

Back before the 2021 season, the San Francisco 49ers made a big splash before the NFL draft, trading multiple first-round picks to move up to the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. With that pick, San Francisco chose QB Trey Lance out of North Dakota State. Lance, who is now entering his second season, was the backup in his first season to QB Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo promptly led the Niners to the NFC Championship game. Going into this season, head coach Kyle Shanahan has made it clear that Trey Lance will be the starter. The elephant in the room though is that Garoppolo is still on the roster.

Garoppolo’s situation was murky due to a shoulder injury that prevented him from being cleared until mid-July. Now that he is cleared though, Garoppolo and the Niners have agreed to let the veteran quarterback seek a trade. Because it is so late, the available teams are scarce, but there is value to Garoppolo’s name. In 2021, he went 9-6 with 20 TD and 12 INT, throwing for 3,810 yards on a 68.3% CMP, a tick higher than his career average (67.7). Garoppolo is a proven winner, sporting a 33-14 record and a 4-2 record in the playoffs. With the Niners, he reached the Super Bowl once and the NFC Championship twice. The options are definitely limited, but here are three teams that can possibly trade for Garoppolo.

Seattle Seahawks

The first team, and probably the favorite, is the Seattle Seahawks. This offseason, Seattle traded QB Russell Wilson after a decade of constant success. Now, Seattle is in rebuild mode, with their quarterback room not being so glamorous. The two notable QB’s are Drew Lock and Geno Smith, who have not proven to be successful starters in the NFL. While Seattle is in rebuild mode, they do have some pieces to work with on the offensive side of the ball with WRs DK Metcalf, and Tyler Lockett, as well as rookie RB Kenneth Walker. They are the only team in the NFL that does not have the QB situation truly solved. Teams like Carolina and Pittsburgh have not chosen a starter yet, but they have true competition in their camps. The only fallback is that Seattle is in the same division as the 49ers. The question I ask though is if the Niners are so willing to move off Garoppolo, would it really matter if he was moved in the division?

New York Giants

While there was a report saying they were not going to trade for Garoppolo, the Giants seem like a really nice fit for both sides. As of today, Daniel Jones is the starter for the Giants, but their decision to decline his fourth-year option shows that the organization does not truly view him as the quarterback of the future. Bringing in Garoppolo gives you a solid option at QB with a growing roster around him. It also is not a long-term commitment, with Garoppolo playing on an expiring contract in 2022. Many do not view the Giants as a playoff team, but a lot of that has to do with the quarterback play. If you bring in Garoppolo, you might not make the playoffs, but you will be more competitive, or at least give Jones competition. If they were to go that route though, it would have to be extremely soon.

Cleveland Browns

After a long wait, Judge Sue Robinson came to a decision on QB Deshaun Watson. The ruling was for Watson to be suspended for six games. Up until August 4th, the NFLPA and NFL can appeal. With the Players Association already saying they will not appeal, the ball is now in the NFL’s court, and there’s a chance that the suspension becomes even longer. With all that being said, it would make a lot of sense to kick the tires on Jimmy Garoppolo if the suspension is for the entire season. QB Jacoby Brissett is listed to be the starter while Watson is suspended. Brissett is a proven and well-respected quarterback in the NFL, but probably is not a starter on a playoff team. The Browns have a loaded roster that is ready to win now, so why waste the year? Like the Giants, it would not be a long-term commitment with Garoppolo, so they would only have him for one year. Garoppolo makes you a legit playoff contender, especially with the roster in hand. If Watson’s suspension stays at six games, it would not be smart to trade for Garoppolo, but if it gets bumped to a full season, it will almost make too much sense.