It has widely been assumed that the San Francisco 49ers will trade Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, but some feel they would be better off keeping the veteran for one more year. That outcome may still be in play.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter spoke about the Garoppolo situation with Ari Meirov of Pro Football Focus this week. He acknowledged that there is a good chance Garoppolo will be traded, but he insisted it is “not a lock.” Schefter cited the fact that Garoppolo is set to earn $25 million in 2022, which is reasonable money for a quarterback who has proven he can win. There’s also the issue of Trey Lance being so inexperienced.
“Trey Lance was probably further behind than people realized. Trey Lance is greener than people realized,” Schefter said. “Trey Lance is going to need more work than people realize, and they have a roster that can win now.”
The 49ers traded up to select Lance in last year’s draft. They still view him as a potential franchise cornerstone, but the results they have had with Garoppolo cannot be ignored. The 30-year-old has already led the Niners to one Super Bowl, and he fell just three points short of doing it again this year.
As Schefter laid out, there might be more value in keeping Garoppolo and letting Lance ride the bench for another season than there is in trading Jimmy G. for something like a second-round pick.
We know at least one Niners legend believes it would be a bad idea for the team to move on from Garoppolo right now. Of course, it’s possible Garoppolo will want a fresh start. He knows San Francisco is not committed to him long-term, and he may want a chance to establish himself elsewhere while still in his prime.
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