San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is looking for an opportunity to start with his current team turning the page to a new era under Trey Lance. Unfortunately for the veteran signal-caller, multiple circumstances might keep him in San Francisco.
Garoppolo helped San Francisco reach the NFC Championship Game, solidifying his value as a quality starter who can thrive in the right circumstances. With many teams desperate for a quarterback upgrade this offseason, a trade seemed inevitable.
- Jimmy Garoppolo stats (2021): 68.3% completion rate, 3,810 yards, 20-12 TD-INT, 98.7 QB rating
However, the 30-year-old remains on the 49ers’ roster as minicamp begins. San Francisco started the offseason by setting a high asking price, putting the cost so high that interested teams looked elsewhere. When Garoppolo underwent shoulder surgery in March, it wiped out the possibility of him being one of the first quarterbacks traded.
San Francisco still wants to deal its experienced backup quarterback. The organization remains high on him, believing multiple teams should be interested and they view their asking price as reasonable. With summer approaching, though, it’s clear others around the league feel differently.
In an interview on The Rich Eisen Show, Peter King of NBC Sports explained why he thinks Garoppolo and the 49ers might be stuck with one another.
“If I had to guess today, they are probably going to have to hang on to Jimmy Garoppolo. Not only because nobody out there is offering to trade much for him. Do they really know what they have in Trey Lance?”
NBC Sports’ Peter King on Jimmy Garoppolo’s future with San Francisco 49ers
Interest in the veteran quarterback has certainly evaporated. A majority of NFL teams addressed their need earlier this offseason, either via trade or the 2022 NFL Draft. Because of Garoppolo’s shoulder surgery and a feeling around the league that San Francisco wanted too much, a trade never materialized.
Related: Jimmy Garoppolo trade expected in July by NFL insider
It’s widely assumed that the 49ers won’t entertain the idea of trading Garoppolo to the Seattle Seahawks. If that proves to be accurate, it really only leaves the Carolina Panthers as a potential landing spot. However, Carolina is also interested in Baker Mayfield and its front office has all the leverage in negotiations with San Francisco.
Ultimately, there now seems to be a real possibility that Garoppolo is still with the 49ers when training camp arrives. At that point, he’ll likely have to wait and see if another quarterback around the NFL suffers an injury and makes another NFL team desperate.
Related: Carolina Panthers ‘kicking around the idea’ of Jimmy Garoppolo