We are a few weeks away from training camp and Jimmy Garoppolo remains a member of the San Francisco 49ers despite the fact that the team has given the keys to the franchise to Trey Lance, who they selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
With Baker Mayfield being traded to Carolina and the Deshaun Watson legal situation hovering over the Browns, many believe Cleveland will be the team looking to make a move for Jimmy G but ESPN’s Jermey Fowler hinted that the Seattle Seahawks could be a team to watch for Garoppolo:
Fowler says that some executives around the league view the 49ers as “stuck” because his deal will have to be renegotiated in a trade, and there are limited suitors for him.
“I’m told that internally they have discussed the possibility of Garoppolo playing for them,” Fowler said. “They’ve done their film work to see how he would fit. Tricky, certainly, to do a trade inside the NFC West. But the 49ers and Seattle know they can maybe sort of wait this out because the 49ers have limited cap space right now, I think around $5 million.
“They want to re-sign Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel. To do that, they need some of Garoppolo’s $24 million in base salary. Seattle probably knows that which means maybe they won’t try to make a trade, they’ll just wait for the 49ers to release him.”
As we inch closer to training camp, the 49ers may be in a game of chicken and barring an unforeseen injury to a starting quarterback on a contending roster, they could be forced to release Jimmy G if no trade suitor emerges.
For now, Garoppolo is still on the team, with all eyes on the Watson situation and start of training camp.
