Insider: Seahawks 'very interested' in signing Jimmy Garoppolo once 49ers cut him

As recently as earlier this week, it was reported that the San Francisco 49ers have not yet cut veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo even though they have 2021 rookie Trey Lance serving as their new QB1 because they believe the Seattle Seahawks would immediately sign Jimmy G to prepare him to become their new starter over both journeyman Geno Smith and 2019 second-round draft pick Drew Lock. 

The $24.2 million base salary Garoppolo is owed for 2022 isn't guaranteed until after the preseason, and the 49ers first face the division-rival Seahawks in Week 2 on Sept. 18. Thus, it's thought San Francisco wants to wait as long as possible to make Garoppolo available, as he'll theoretically need at least a few weeks to get acclimated to a new offense. 

Per Logan Mullen of Audacy, former NFL executive and current league insider Mike Lombardi became the latest individual to link Garoppolo with the Seahawks during an edition of his "The GM Shuffle" podcast. 

"I keep asking teams all the time, why don’t they just cut Jimmy G now? And the answer that I got back from multiple teams is 'they don’t want him to go to Seattle,'" Lombardi explained. "I said, 'Well how interested is Seattle in Jimmy G?' And (one source) said 'Oh, they’re very interested in him.' So for all the talk about Geno, for all the talk about Drew Lock, I think Seattle knows they’re going to get Jimmy G. And I think San Francisco knows that he could go there. So they’re trying everything in their power to prevent that, and they have no takers.

"So what I think will happen is the Friday before the opening weekend, I think they’ll cut Jimmy G. I think that’s when they’ll cut him, and then he’ll have to go do his contract and go up to Seattle and go there. But there is no interest in allowing Seattle to have even a week of preparation with Jimmy G to come in as their starting quarterback. But I do believe, reliably reported to me, that Seattle is the team that wants him." 

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan raised eyebrows earlier this week when he said that "any scenario is possible" regarding Garoppolo's status with the franchise, but a later report claimed that the signal-caller and his employer "have a mutual understanding" that it's just a matter of time before he hits the open market unless a team trades for his services in the 11th hour. 

Final roster cuts are due this coming Tuesday, so that hour is quickly approaching.