With Baker Mayfield finally being moved to the Panthers, the 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo domino looms. Carolina completing its long-rumored deal with Cleveland removes a Garoppolo destination from the equation, giving San Francisco an interesting task in the weeks to come.
This process could well end with the 49ers releasing Garoppolo, but Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes the expectation around the league is for a trade to be completed by the end of July. Garoppolo remains on schedule to resume throwing soon, according to his agent, who became the latest to refute a weekend connection between the ninth-year quarterback and the Buccaneers (Twitter links).
[RELATED: How will 49ers’ Garoppolo saga conclude?]
Facing the prospect of carrying a $26.95MM Garoppolo cap hit (the NFL’s seventh-highest 2022 cap figure), the 49ers will need to have that number off their books before it translates to a vested-veteran guarantee in Week 1. Any Garoppolo trade talks will involve lowering that number, as teams can use Garoppolo’s upcoming guarantee date against the 49ers. San Francisco will let Garoppolo negotiate his contract with other teams to facilitate a trade. Garoppolo making it to free agency would give the veteran more options, but the longer this goes, the more difficult it will be for the 30-year-old QB to maximize his opportunity with a team.
The end-of-July date is interesting. A better deal may emerge in August, with the prospect of teams’ QB depth charts being affected by injuries being more likely then than it will be in July. Garoppolo’s right shoulder surgery has delayed San Francisco’s goal of unloading its former starter. Waiting on a potential injury to change a team’s QB outlook would seemingly benefit the 49ers, as it did the Eagles six years ago. Teddy Bridgewater‘s severe knee injury prompted the Vikings to trade first- and fourth-round picks for Sam Bradford, whose Philadelphia exit cleared the way for Carson Wentz. Garoppolo’s Bay Area departure will begin the latest North Dakota State-produced prospect’s QB1 run.
Bradford’s contract was easier for the Vikings to absorb, with the Eagles having already paid their 2015 trade acquisition an $11MM offseason roster bonus. The Vikings were only responsible for $7MM of Bradford’s salary in 2016. While a team seeing its starter go down during camp could create desperation, the 49ers likely will still be asked to pay some of Garoppolo’s salary. Absent an injury, the Garoppolo market is cold.
Trey Lance is on track to take the reins for the 49ers. The Division I-FCS product cannot be viewed as a sure thing, after an atypical college career and some rookie-year scuffling, but the price the 49ers paid to acquire him points to a starter ascent. Lance struggling in camp could lead to the 49ers keeping the Garoppolo door open, on a price tag that is not $26.95MM, but the team remains hopeful it will find a way to move Garoppolo off its roster ahead of that point.
It’s too bad that he had surgery or he’d been traded by now. I would think he was a better option than Matt Ryan, if for no other reason than you could keep him around for more years. Ryan is 8 years older and the Colts will be looking for a new quarterback in 2 years. They’re not going to get any of the top college quarterbacks because they’ll be drafting too low
Doesn’t mean they won’t get their QB of the future. Later round picks pan out from time to time
You have a much much greater chance in the early 1st round. Nothing in life is absolute though. Ryan just seems like a guy that got old fast
I would not say it’s a ‘much much greater’ chance. Of current QBs, Aaron Rodgers, mid/late 1st round. Lamar Jackson, end of the 1st. Derek Carr, 2nd round. Jimmy G and Russell Wilson, 3rd round. Dak, 4th round. Brady, 6th round.
There’s a ton of busts early on, too. Darnold, Danny Jones, etc.
Wilson and Brady are the only real gems. The other were 1st round picks. Jackson would have been higher if there weren’t 4 others taken ahead of him. Like I said before, nothing is absolute but if I need a quarterback, I’d rather be picking in the top 10
“Garoppolo’s Bay Area departure will begin the latest North Dakota State-produced prospect’s QB1 run.”
Might want to mention Trey Lance here instead of first mentioning him 2 paragraphs later. Wording is a little off.
“Garoppolo remains on schedule to resume throwing soon”
Who would be so stupid (besides the Browns) to trade for anyone in this situation?
No one else needs to be that stupid. They can send a 4th or 5th round pick, possibly even what they got from the Panthers to JG. The 49ers need him gone in order to Deebo and Bosa on extensions.
Houston?
He started throwing 2 weeks ago
Niners are a dumpster fire. No way they are competing with rams until they get a proven legit qb.
@imindless you’re s dumpster fire
How many rings do niners have since Steve young retired? Rams have 2 in 20 years including last season
They were a Tartt dropped interception away from going 3-0 with the rams last year lol I’d say that’s competitive
We all knew after the 2021 NFC Championship Game that Garappalo will be released by the 49’ers before Week 1 of 2022. Other teams want to negotiate *at a discount* and not at $24 million in 2022. He would have to give up salary like Baker did, but his agent knows it’s better to be released.
If he’s released or traded, he’s giving up salary. Nobody is paying 24 million