Let’s take a break from the 22-year-old quarterback and arm fatigue to talk about a potential destination for 49ers’ QB Jimmy Garoppolo.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler was on SportsCenter late Monday morning discussing the latest on Garoppolo’s potential whereabouts and what’s holding the team up from extending Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel:
A few executives I’ve spoke to believe the 49ers are a bit stuck here. They need Garoppolo to pass a physical coming off the shoulder surgery. They need to renegotiate his contract with that new team on that $24 million salary. And the pool of suitors right now seems to be pretty small.
Now a few things that are positive for San Francisco. I’m told Garoppolo’s recovery remains on schedule. He should start throwing now, and if he hasn’t already, he’ll do a ramp-up phase so he can eventually pass that physical.
And you have Seattle that’s still out there. They were sort of implicated in the Baker Mayfield situation, but didn’t make that move.
I’m told that internally, they have discussed the possibility of Garoppolo playing for them. They’ve done their film work to see how he would fit. Certainly tricky to do a trade inside of the NFC West. But the 49ers and Seattle know they can sort of wait this out.
The 49ers have limited cap space right now, I think around $5 million. They want to re-sign Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel. To do that, they need some of Garoppolo’s base salary. Seattle probably knows that and maybe they won’t make a trade and wait for the 49ers to release him.
One day, we’ll hear that money has never gotten the way of the 49ers when it comes to who they’ve signed or who they could extend this offseason. Then, you look at how much Garoppolo’s base salary is and can’t help but second guess that information.
Fowler somewhat backs off his statement of a potential Garoppolo to Seattle trade at the end when he says the Seahawks could play the waiting game. They know what they have in Drew Lock and Geno Smith. Seattle also knows San Francisco has next to zero leverage.
It’s difficult to envision the Seahawks giving the 49ers anything more than a conditional 4th-round pick in 2024. That’s what I figured Cleveland would offer if Deshaun Watson is suspended for the season — but the Browns aren’t in the NFC West.
Perhaps the best-case scenario for the 49ers involves a mini bidding war between the Browns and Seahawks, leading to an extra pick.
Jimmy has to be healthy for this to work. We’re in the latter part of the timetable when he should be throwing. I’m in the camp that a team trades for Garoppolo, given the separation around the league for a competent quarterback.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said early Monday morning that team executives believe Garoppolo will be traded somewhere by the end of the month.
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