A long time ago, on a sports blog far, far away, I made it very clear that the San Francisco 49ers would not get Tom Brady and dump Jimmy Garoppolo. An even longer time ago, I said there was no way they’d get Kirk Cousins and dump Jimmy Garoppolo. It’s Monday, and it’s no longer speculation, it’s true. Kirk Cousins has signed a two-year extension, and the 49ers are out on Tom Brady.
Really, why think otherwise? Kirk Cousins was guaranteed money in 2020 and had a no-trade clause. Would Kyle Shanahan really have a 2021 date circled in his calendar for when Cousins becomes a free agent? He did that already in 2017, and Garoppolo did his thing. So we really want to subscribe to the thought Shanahan will buy a couple more for when Cousins becomes available yet again? A 34-year-old Kirk Cousins? And then Brady, who is in his 40s? Not happening.
Now that Brady and Cousins are both gone, where do the 49ers turn if they really want to dump Garoppolo? Ryan Tannehill? Well, he’s got a deal with the Tennessee Titans. A trade for Ryan Fitzpatrick? Please, no.
Don’t you think maybe, just maybe, the 49ers want to give Garoppolo another year? If they aren’t, there’s one place capable of a replacement: The 2020 NFL Draft. The 49ers pick 31st, and if they are dead-set on running Garoppolo out, it’s either C.J. Beathard, Nick Mullens, or a draft pick. Who they take at that spot or trade-up for, you can discuss in the comments. That is if you really think the 49ers want to move on.
How do you like those pickings? Call me crazy, but I think Garoppolo was the right choice all along. Now, let’s not get this mixed up: he’s not perfect, and he has issues. One year, especially one where he took the 49ers to the Super Bowl after an ACL tear the previous season, is not enough to say he’s not the guy, however. His fourth-quarter performance in the Super Bowl is concerning, and it is something to be looked at. If he can’t get it together in 2020 (and that doesn’t amount to a ridiculous feat like winning a Super Bowl), then it’s time to consider some options. That’s why he’s paid that money, but it’s not enough of a reason to dump him after one year. 2020 is the year to see what the 49ers have with Garoppolo after Garoppolo has had his first full season starting under his belt.
And when 2020 concludes, we’ll all know if the 49ers need a new quarterback or not.