The San Francisco 49ers have been open about the fact that they are fielding trade offers for Jimmy Garoppolo, but there is a growing sense that the veteran quarterback may not be going anywhere.
Most teams that needed a quarterback this offseason have already filled that void either via trade or free agency. During his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” Tuesday, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport was asked about the report that a team has offered two second-round draft picks for Garoppolo. He said he cannot imagine where that offer would have come from.
Rapoport also said he would not be surprised if Garoppolo returns to the Niners for another season.
“The longer we go in this thing and Jimmy G. is still on the Niners makes me think they could keep him,” Rapoport said. “He led them into the playoffs last year. I know it wasn’t perfect, but would it be the craziest thing in the world to keep him and let Trey Lance learn for another year? I could think of worse outcomes for the 49ers. I just don’t see a spot for (Garoppolo).”
There are a couple of issues with Garoppolo. One is that he had shoulder surgery after the season. While he is expected to make a full recovery in time for 2022, he could miss some offseason activities. That reportedly scared at least one team away.
The 49ers are clearly planning to turn things over to Trey Lance at some point. That has led to a situation where Garoppolo would likely prefer to start elsewhere rather than be a lame duck in San Francisco. But what if there are no starting opportunities left?
The Indianapolis Colts were viewed as a suitor for Jimmy G., and they traded for Matt Ryan. The Seattle Seahawks are another team in need of quarterback help, but a deal between NFC West division rivals seems highly unlikely. Rapoport mentioned the Carolina Panthers, though he said he has not seen any indication that they are interested in Garoppolo.
If Garoppolo is fine remaining in San Francisco for another year, the Niners might like having the insurance policy. One report this week claimed they may not think Lance is ready to start just yet.
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