Mike Florio: Cowboys could get QB Jimmy Garoppolo from 49ers, trade him this fall

Probably the biggest story coming off the opening Sunday of the 2022 NFL season is the thumb injury that Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback Dak Prescott suffered during the 19-3 home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; a setback that could keep him out of action for six-to-eight weeks.

Even before Sunday night came to an end, fans and some analysts began linking the Cowboys to San Francisco 49ers veteran Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo has been replaced atop the 49ers' depth chart by second-year pro Trey Lance and accepted a pay cut to stay with the team as the backup option ahead of Week 1. 

His restructured deal contains a no-trade and no-tag clause but could make him easy to move to a supposed contender that loses its starter such as the Cowboys. 

Of course, Garoppolo would have to agree to join a Cowboys team practically guaranteed to sit him once Prescott is cleared to return. However, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio has proposed an interesting idea regarding a potential Dallas-Garoppolo relationship. 

"There’s also a possibility, strange as it may seem, that the Cowboys could trade for Garoppolo, use him through Week Eight, and trade him to another team at the deadline," Florio wrote. This year's trade deadline is set for 4:00 p.m. ET on Nov. 1. 

"He’d also have to agree to a second trade, obviously. But if Prescott is ready to go by Week 10 (the Cowboys have a bye in Week Nine) and another team needs a quarterback by then, the Cowboys could recoup some of their picks by re-trading Garoppolo," Florio continued. "In theory. (Thanks to the person within the broader NFL ecosystem who floated that idea to me earlier via text.)" 

The Cowboys currently have unproven backup Cooper Rush as their starter ahead of this Sunday's home contest against the 0-1 Cincinnati Bengals and may not be able to land Garoppolo for any price depending on what happens on the second Sunday of the season. 

Lance was downright awful during the loss at the Chicago Bears, to the point that some fans are already calling for head coach Kyle Shanahan to go back to Garoppolo for the Week 2 matchup versus the division-rival Seattle Seahawks being held in San Francisco's Levi's Stadium. 

Shanahan and his staff may need to have some uncomfortable conversations if Lance loses his second start of the campaign.