The situation surrounding San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has changed leading up to the start of the new league year later this month.
It was just recently that reports broke indicating that the embattled veteran signal caller will have to undergo shoulder surgery in his throwing arm and will likely miss 16 weeks of action. Despite this, there’s still said to be a lot of interest in his services.
Enter into the equation a Pittsburgh Steelers team that’s in need of a new starting quarterback following the retirement of longtime signal caller Ben Roesthlisberger. Once it became clear that Garoppolo would be traded following San Francisco’s NFC Championship Game loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh emerged as one of the betting favorites to land him.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Garoppolo is indeed a name to watch as outgoing Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert attempts to find a replacement for Big Ben before the front office head retires.
Rapoport notes that the Steelers are keeping all options open in their search for a new signal caller. That includes potentially chasing after the likes of Jameis Winston and Mitchell Trubisky in free agency.
Does Jimmy Garoppolo make sense for the Pittsburgh Steelers?
It really is all about the quarterback trade market and what Pittsburgh might be looking to give up. Right now, it’s looking less likely that Seattle Seahawks star quarterback Russell Wilson will become available. Everything is also up in the air as it relates to two-time reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and his Green Bay Packers.
Assuming those two are not moved and with the Deshaun Watson legal situation still outstanding, it’s not a reach to say that Garoppolo could be the Steelers’ best option. This scenario would also likely include Pittsburgh exhausting the 20th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on a quarterback. Either way, Garoppolo would be seen as an upgrade over last season’s iteration of Big Ben.
- Ben Roethlisberger stats (2021): 64.5%, 3,740 yards, 22 TD, 10 INT, 9.6 YPC, 86.8 rating
- Jimmy Garoppolo stats (2021): 68%, 3,810 yards, 20 TD, 12 INT, 12.7 YPC, 98.7 rating
Garoppolo injury and impact on potential Steelers trade
“Any time you have surgery it’s not a minor deal. Any time it’s the throwing shoulder, I understand the significance. But it is described as a minor surgery, and Jimmy’s going to be fine.”
49ers GM John Lynch on Jimmy Garoppolo injury
For someone who was in the media, Lynch doesn’t have a great poker face. This is simply PR spin in an attempt to gain an upper hand in Garoppolo trade talks. The quarterback’s timeline for a return would run up against training camp. That’s significant for an acquiring team.
Meanwhile, there’s this whole thing called finances. Garoppolo is slated to count $26.95 million against the cap in 2022. San Francisco will save $25.5 million by trading him. The team is currently less than $3 million under the 2022 NFL salary cap. You can do the math. Garoppolo will not be on the 49ers’ roster when the new league year opens on March 16.
None of this is to say San Francisco can’t get some reasonable compensation for Garoppolo in a trade with Pittsburgh. However, it’s unlikely to be the second-round pick and change the 49ers were looking for in the first place. Instead, Pittsburgh might be able to pry him away from San Francisco for a third-round selection in 2022 and 2023.
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