With Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Carson Wentz now off the board, a number of QB-needy teams are switching their focus to Jimmy Garoppolo. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), the market for Garoppolo has “heated up pretty quickly,” and the 49ers have already fielded several trade calls on the veteran quarterback.
However, trade talks are somewhat complicated by Garoppolo’s recent shoulder surgery. While the quarterback has expressed full confidence in returning to the field in time for training camp, he only went under the knife this week. As a result, teams are seeking full clarity on his current outlook before pulling the trigger on a deal.
When it comes to suitors, Rapoport mentions that the Colts are certainly “in the mix” for Garoppolo. After dealing Wentz to Washington earlier today, the Colts are believed to have “significant interest” in the 49ers signal caller.
The writing was on the wall for Garoppolo in San Francisco when the organization gave up a haul to draft Trey Lance with the third-overall pick. Despite an uncertain future, the veteran still went 9-6 in his 15 starts this past season (plus a pair of postseason victories). We heard recently that the 49ers were seeking a Day 2 choice for the 30-year-old. Garoppolo’s contract includes a $24.2MM salary in 2022.
TUESDAY, 8:25pm: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets some additional details on Garoppolo’s impending surgery, noting that the QB will go under the knife “to repair a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder.” Garoppolo won’t throw for 16 weeks but should still be ready for the start of the next season (assuming everything goes as planned).
TUESDAY, 3:48pm: The latest update on Jimmy Garoppolorelates not to teams interested in trading for him, but rather his health status. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the veteran quarterback will undergo shoulder surgery soon (Twitter link).
Schefter adds that he is expected to be on the shelf until the summer. However, he also reports that the procedure “is not expected to impact his trade status” and that Garoppolo is still “likely to be traded this month”. One of the most notable aspects of the news is the fact that it is his shoulder being operated on, as a result of an injury suffered during the team’s Wild Card victory.
In a follow-up, Schefter adds that Garoppolo will not need surgery for the thumb injury he had sustained earlier in the year. It had been reported one month ago that the latter ailment was going to require surgery, but that appears to no longer be the case. In any event, this news adds to the already lengthy list of injuries Garoppolo has dealt with in his career, including a shoulder issue back in 2016.
Nevertheless, Schefter reiterates that there is “significant interest” in Garoppolo from “multiple teams”. The 30-year-old went 9-6 in the regular season, and helped lead the team back to the NFC Championship game – the second time the 49ers went that deep during his time there. He has one year remaining on his current contract, at a cap hit of just under $27MM. According to Schefter, he is expected to be able to resume training in late June or early July. What team he is a member of by that time remains to be seen.
February 28th, 2022 at 12:07pm CST by Adam La Rose
Change is inevitable for the 49ers this offseason, especially at the quarterback position. Two major pieces to their run to the NFC Championship game, though, could be getting new contracts in the near future. ESPN’s Nick Wagoner reports that extensions for Nick Bosaand Deebo Samuel are in the team’s plans.
“We fully understand these guys are pillars of what we’re trying to do here”, general manger John Lynch said recently. “We’ve been blessed that we’ve been aggressive, because we’ve had a lot of players that we believe are some of the best in the league at what they do. And these guys are no different… I’m sure that we’ll find a way to get [extensions] done. It’s been budgeted for”.
Bosa has been the focal point of the team’s defense since being drafted second overall in 2019. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in his first campaign, helping the team to the Super Bowl. He missed almost all of his second campaign due to a torn ACL, but returned to play all 17 games in 2021. His 52 stops – including a league-leading 21 tackles for loss – along with 15.5 sacks and four forced fumbles helped lead San Francisco on a late-season surge to the postseason, and all the way to the conference title game.
Samuel, the 49ers’ second selection in that 2019 draft, has followed a somewhat similar path in terms of his career arc so far. After an impressive rookie season, he missed nine games in 2020. His 2021 campaign, however, proved that he was back to full strength and capable of becoming the focal point of the team’s offense. Establishing himself as a ‘wide back’, he posted 1,404 receiving yards and six touchdowns, along with 365 yards and an additional eight scores on the ground.
Finding money to accommodate the two young stars should become easier in March. As Wagoner detailed last week, the contracts of not only Jimmy Garoppolobut also edge rusher Dee Fordare likely to come off the books. A Garoppolo trade (which would clear more than $25MM in cap space) has seemed inevitable since the selection of Trey Lancelast April, while designating Ford a post-June 1st cut would yield another $2.4MM in savings. The latter move is believed to also be all-but guaranteed, after Ford battled injuries and totalled just 9.5 total sacks in three seasons with San Francisco.
Between those expected moves, and some other cap maneuvering such as restructures, the 49ers should open up enough space to be able to afford their next round of major extensions.
Carson Wentz and Jimmy Garoppolo will be popular names on this website throughout the offseason, but their respective teams may have difficulties finding trade partners suitors. According to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, interest in Wentz and Garoppolo has been “lukewarm as best.”
Wentz got the majority of the blame for the Colts ugly Week 18 loss to the Jaguars, and the quarterback’s decision to go through the season unvaccinated (which caused him to miss a week of practice leading up to the Colts’ Week 17 loss to the Raiders) drew the ire of some Colts decision makers, including owner Jim Irsay. Chris Ballard‘s noncommitment to Wentz exiting the season provided a fairly clear indication the team is not sold on its starter.
So, despite giving up a 2021 third-round pick and 2022 first to acquire the former Eagles QB, the Colts now have Wentz on the block. The Colts could save $13MM by cutting Wentz before March 19. Should Wentz stay a Colt, he will be attached to a $28MM cap number.
The writing was on the wall for Garoppolo in San Francisco when the organization gave up a haul to draft Trey Lance with the third-overall pick. Despite an uncertain future, the veteran still went 9-6 in his 15 starts this past season (plus a pair of postseason victories). We heard recently that the 49ers were seeking a Day 2 choice for the 30-year-old. Garoppolo’s contract includes a $24.2MM salary in 2022.
Of the starting quarterbacks mentioned in trade rumors, Jimmy Garoppolo looms as the likeliest candidate to move. The five-year 49ers starter saying as much and having talked to his general manager about a potential destination is a fairly clear indicator of a move. However, Garoppolo being dealt is not a certainty. Trey Lance has a long way to go in his climb toward being a reliable starter, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com said during an interview with Pro Football Focus’ Ari Meirov (via SI.com). The 21-year-old Division I-FCS alum was “further away than people realized” this past season, Schefter adds, noting Garoppolo remains well-liked in San Francisco’s locker room. While it would be a surprise if the 49ers kept Garoppolo, the prospect of him playing out his contract and keeping Lance in developmental mode in 2022 did surface last summer.
The statuses of Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins may put the 49ers in a good spot regarding a Garoppolo trade offer, however. The QB trade market drying up would lead to more Garoppolo interest; as of now, the 49ers are seeking a Day 2 pick and change in a trade. They would need to weigh offers, Lance’s readiness and the prospect of a third-round 2024 compensatory pick — for Garoppolo’s 2023 free agency exit — in this equation.
Here is the latest from the quarterback rumor circuit:
Wilson has said he wants to stay with the Seahawks, but coming out of a disappointing season, the veteran quarterback has also been connected to exploring his options to see if another team could give him opportunities his current one cannot. For the time being, owner Jody Allen is behind keeping Wilson, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. It is unclear how much Allen supports ensuring the perennial Pro Bowler stays in Washington, and given Wilson’s value at age 33 and with two years left on his contract, Breer does expect a trade to eventually happen. After Rodgers makes his intentions known, this will be the top QB situation to monitor.
The Saints used four starting quarterbacks last season and have their preferred 2021 starter on track for free agency. Jameis Winston is coming off an ACL tear and might again need a prove-it season. Many around the league expect the Saints to again provide that opportunity, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com writes. New Orleans is once again in its own league for cap purposes, being more than $75MM over the projected 2022 cap. Winston coming back on a low salary would help the Saints, even if the seven-year veteran would represent another stopgap year post-Drew Brees.
The Texans are behind Davis Mills as their starter, but they are interested in keeping Tyrod Taylor around. Taylor impressed Houston’s coaching staff during his first Texans season, Fowler adds. Taylor signed a one-year, $5.5MM deal to work as a starter during Deshaun Watson‘s time away from the team. Mills supplanted Taylor, continuing a familiar routine for the ex-Bills starter, but it sounds like his relationship with new OC Pep Hamilton — Taylor’s position coach with the Chargers in 2020 — is solid enough it could well lead to another year of QB2 work in Houston.
Of the starter-caliber quarterbacks linked to trades, Jimmy Garoppolo has the clearest path to being moved. Garoppolo and John Lynch have discussed a trade, and the passer would prefer to be dealt to a team with a shot at near-future contention.
The 49ers acquired Garoppolo for a second-round pick, and Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com offers the team is aiming for a Day 2 choice and an additional asset in a deal for its four-plus-year starter. The team would not necessarily need the Day 2 choice to be in this year’s draft, per Wagoner. The Jets’ haul for Sam Darnold comes to mind, with the Panthers sending over their 2022 second-rounder in last year’s swap that also included fourth- and sixth-round choices.
The quarterback market not producing fireworks would stand to help the 49ers, who could drive a harder bargain if Garoppolo turns out to be the top QB available or one of the top two — in the event Deshaun Watson is finally moved. This might not end up being the case, with several passers mentioned as trade candidates, but the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson staying put would increase Garoppolo’s value.
While Garoppolo’s contract contained a no-trade clause, it expired after the 2021 trade deadline. The 49ers are free to send Garoppolo anywhere they choose, though it sounds like the team is willing to work with him. Teams like the Steelers, Commanders, Buccaneers, Broncos and Panthers could be in play as well. Carolina and Washington make the most sense as suitors, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Neither figures to be in play for Rodgers or Wilson. If those two are not available, and the Vikings hold firm on keeping Kirk Cousins, the Broncos would probably be more likely to entertain a Garoppolo swap.
Quarterbacks who have fetched a second-day draft choice in recent years include Darnold, Josh Rosen, Teddy Bridgewater (his Jets-to-Saints 2018 deal) and, of course, Garoppolo, whom the 49ers acquired for a second-rounder at the 2017 deadline. The 49ers may use the Chiefs’ 2018 Alex Smith trade as a comp, given the similar situations. The Chiefs were ready to hand the keys to Patrick Mahomes, and Smith signed an extension with Washington after being dealt for a third-rounder and Kendall Fuller.
Garoppolo’s injuries will limit San Francisco’s trade return to a degree, but he did take the 49ers to two NFC championship games after seasons in which he ranked in the top 15 in QBR (13th in both 2019 and 2021). While the ex-Patriots draftee has seen his play frequently maligned, he will have value as a trade chip. Garoppolo’s contract includes a $24.2MM salary in 2022, presumably prompting the team that acquires him to authorize another extension. The extension the 30-year-old QB signed in 2018 runs through 2022.
Jimmy Garoppolo‘s end-of-season comments point to a departure from the 49ers, who have Trey Lance readying to start in 2022. San Francisco’s four-plus-season starter indicated a trade could happen soon. Regardless of the statuses of Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson, Garoppolo looms as an upgrade option for certain teams.
Possible blockbusters involving Rodgers and Wilson, along with what happens with Deshaun Watson, complicate matters on this year’s quarterback market. So will an underwhelming rookie crop. Will AFC teams eyeing Rodgers or Wilson be willing to make an early move for Garoppolo, or will they end up waiting out the higher-profile (and more expensive) options?
Garoppolo, 30, has battled several injuries since becoming a starter, but the 49ers going 2-for-2 in NFC championship berths during seasons in which their QB1 was largely available probably cannot be ignored. Garoppolo holds a no-trade clause and is seeking a team prepared to compete, further complicating matters.
In the NFC, Washington has continued to strike out on long-term QB acquisitions and did not make such a move last year. Washington did try, via a Matthew Stafford offer, prior to signing Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Commanders have Taylor Heinicke signed for 2022 — at just a $2.9MM cap hit — but will almost certainly acquire a veteran or use a first-round pick on a quarterback. The Commanders are also set to carry more than $31MM in cap space, putting them among the league’s top 10. Garoppolo’s through-2022 contract calls for a $24.2MM base salary next season, though his ’22 cap hit could be lowered via an extension agreement.
The Panthers saw their QB situation deteriorate to the point Matt Rhule‘s job was in jeopardy, and Sam Darnoldis on Carolina’s books at a fully guaranteed $18.9MM in 2022. Carolina could also loom for Watson. The embattled Texans quarterback is not believed to have waived his no-trade clause for the Panthers, but they were prepared to make a strong offer prior to the Pro Bowler’s off-field trouble surfacing. If the Dolphins are truly off the Watson market, the Panthers would seemingly re-emerge as perhaps his top suitor.
Tom Brady‘s retirement puts the Buccaneers in play, and early odds place Tampa Bay as one of the most likely teams to acquire Garoppolo. The 49ers quarterback, who is coming off a season in which he ranked 13th in QBR, following his former Patriots teammate would certainly make for an interesting scenario. A Garoppolo extension would be necessary for the Bucs, who have nearly half their starting lineup set for free agency. Even without that contingent on the payroll, the Bucs are projected to be barely $5MM under the cap.
Having not solidified a Drew Brees successor yet, the Saints can be also considered a candidate. Their cap situation, per usual, is not in good shape. New Orleans is entering a second straight offseason more than $75MM over the cap. The team made this work last year but did not have a franchise-QB salary factoring into the equation, with Jameis Winston signing for backup-level dough.
The Steelers should also be considered the mix as a Garoppolo suitor. Although Pittsburgh extended Mason Rudolph, it is difficult to view the former third-round pick as a viable Ben Roethlisberger successor. Still, the early offseason word pointed to the Steelers avoiding the veteran-QB market. But a veteran would make sense given the makeup of an experienced Steelers defense. The Steelers are also armed with far more cap space than they had in 2021, being set to hold more than $30MM.
The Broncos are probably the most interesting team here, given their connection to Rodgers. A late-season amendment on potential Wilson destinations also included Denver. The team that has needed a quarterback for six years could attempt to pry Kirk Cousins away from the Vikings, considering GM George Paton‘s previous run as Minnesota’s assistant GM. Garoppolo, however, has experience in the type of offense Nathaniel Hackett is set to install. Any Denver Garoppolo offer would surely be withheld until it is known Rodgers is off the table.
As of now, the Browns are prepared to keep Baker Mayfield for his fifth-year option season. Are there any other sleeper teams to monitor here? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Jimmy Garoppolo pushed his presumptive lame-duck year to a conference championship game and, after playing hurt in the season’s final weeks, will soon undergo thumb surgery. While it is not certain the 49ers deal their four-plus-year starter soon, that is Garoppolo’s expectation.
The 30-year-old passer spoke with GM John Lynch on Monday regarding his potential departure, wanting, understandably, to end up in a winning situation. This is relevant considering Garoppolo’s contract contains a no-trade clause, which allows the veteran QB to approve his destination. However, the clause expires at the start of the 2022 league year March 16.
“I was talking to John yesterday about finding the right destination and whatever the future holds, just doing it the right way,” Garoppolo said, via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner. “I’ve got a long career ahead of me. I’m excited about it. I’m excited about the opportunities to come. I just want to go to a place where they want to win. That’s really what I’m in this game for.”
Garoppolo’s contract calls for a $24.2MM base salary in its final year, 2022. The 49ers can move the contract easily; they’d be tagged with just $1.4MM in dead money in a deal. The 49ers would save more $25.6MM by trading their starter, tying them to Trey Lance‘s rookie contract for the foreseeable future. CEO Jed York previously floated the idea of Garoppolo sticking around in 2022, but signs currently point to a trade.
Any team that trades for Garoppolo would likely complete an extension, and suitors figure to emerge. The upcoming quarterback market potentially including Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson would stand to complicate matters on the AFC side, with the long-QB-needy Broncos having been connected to the former for nearly a year. Wilson has also been linked to a Denver destination, and his Seattle future remains murky. Garoppolo qualifies as a cheaper backup plan, in the event Rodgers or Wilson are unattainable.
Other teams could beat the Broncos to the punch while they wait on the bigger names, however. The Steelers also loom as a winning team in need at quarterback, but they have also been mentioned as being likelier to steer clear of a veteran acquisition. The Browns could be in the mix as well, but a fifth Baker Mayfield season looms. The NFC side could feature more interested parties, with Carolina, New Orleans, Washington and now Tampa Bay residing as prospective suitors.
“As far as the whole trade situation, John has been very clear with it,” Garoppolo said. “I think they’re trying to do the best for me; I’m trying to do the best for them and we’re working together. We haven’t really made too much progress on it, but I think things will start happening here pretty quickly.”
There has been plenty of speculation surrounding 49ers’ quarterback Jimmy Garoppolothroughout the season. While it is still widely believed he has played his last game in San Francisco, the first order of business for him is to undergo surgery on his injured thumb, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
Rapoport says the surgery is expected to take place “as soon as it can be scheduled”. Garoppolo was able to play through the ailment for the latter part of the season and into the playoffs, but not without feeling pain in his throwing hand after every pass attempt. While the injury was originally thought to be a sprain, it was revealed in December that he suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb.
The 30-year-old missed two games in 2021 – adding to his already notable total of absences, though certainly not to the same extent as previous years. He totalled 3,810 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His completion percentage (68.3%) and yards per attempt (8.6) were both right on par with his carer averages. Between that, and the Niners’ run to the NFC title game, Garoppolo has made the most out of what could have been a disastrous ‘lame-duck’ campaign.
There will be quite the market for Garoppolo in the event that, as expected, San Francisco decides to move on from him. A number of teams already have QB vacancies, not to mention those like the Raiders and Vikings, whose signal callers find themselves in the same position as Garoppolo in that they have one year remaining on their contracts. A trade would, of course, represent the team handing the reins over to 2021 No. 3 pick Trey Lance, something they seemed destined to do considering the draft capital given up to acquire him.
Jan. 2: Lance will indeed get the second start of his career, as Garoppolo will miss the Niners’ Week 17 contest against the Texans and will require offseason surgery on his injured thumb, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. That does not preclude Garoppolo from suiting up for the club’s Week 18 bout with the Rams, though if San Francisco should qualify for the playoffs today — which will happen if it defeats Houston and New Orleans loses to Carolina — Lance would presumably start the regular season finale as well.
The surgery should not have much of an impact on Garoppolo’s trade market this offseason, but his sustaining an injury at a critical juncture underscores why the 49ers made the bold move to acquire Lance in the first place and why they plan to trade Garoppolo in the coming months.
Dec. 31: The 49ers have listed Jimmy Garoppolo as doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Texans, as Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets. But, for what it’s worth, head coach Kyle Shanahan says he’s still “holding out hope” for Garoppolo being able to start.
Garoppolo is dealing with a Grade 3 sprain, rather than a fracture, according to Shanahan. That at least gives the quarterback some chance of suiting up as the Niners push for a postseason berth.
“I’ve been told he does not need surgery right now,” said Shanahan (Twitter link via Cam Inman of the East Bay Times). “To clear that up, (sprain) is way it was worded to me, he has a Grade III sprain. Reason they never mentioned to me a fracture it doesn’t have much to do with the sprain; it pulled off a fleck of the bone.”
Garoppolo suffered the injury during the second quarter of Thursday’s game, a 20-17 loss to the Titans. If he can’t go this week, rookie Trey Lance will be in line for his start No. 2, his first since Week 5.
So far this year, Garoppolo gone 8-6 in 14 starts, completing 68% of his throws for 3,494 yards and 19 touchdowns against ten interceptions. Lance, meanwhile, went 15-of-29 for 192 yards and one INT in his start, a low-scoring loss to the Cardinals.
The Niners control their own destiny in the Wild Card race, so wins over the Texans and Rams would punch their ticket to the playoffs.
However, trade talks are somewhat complicated by Garoppolo’s recent shoulder surgery. While the quarterback has expressed full confidence in returning to the field in time for training camp, he only went under the knife this week. As a result, teams are seeking full clarity on his current outlook before pulling the trigger on a deal.
