Jimmy Garoppolo & His San Francisco tenure in all likeliness came to an end after the 49ers gave up 2 first-round picks, 1 third-round pick and their 12th pick to move up to the 3rd spot on the draft board. After just 31 games across 4 years, it looks like Garoppolo will be traded by the 49ers in 2021.
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The 49ers gave up a second-round pick for Jimmy Garoppolo four years ago. And after going 5-0 in his first season with the team, the San Francisco 49ers handed him a massive 5 year $137.5M contract. Jimmy G was very efficient in 2019 when he lead the 49ers to the 13-3 record, a Super Bowl appearance and a 10 point lead in the 4th quarter of said Super Bowl.
But apart from a lone 2019 season. Garoppolo’s time with the 49ers wasn’t great. Injuries riddled his career in San Francisco. He went 5-0 in the first 5 games of the 2017 season but got injured and was out for the rest of the season. He played only 3 games in 2018 and only 6 in 2020.
Now that the contract is favorable and the 49ers are in a position to draft their future quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo’s days in San Francisco appear to be numbered. With a multitude of QB- needy teams without a top 5 draft selection, there could be plenty of suitors for Jimmy’s talents. Let’s take a look:
Jimmy Garoppolo Landing Spots:
New England Patriots
Jimmy G was supposed to be the heir to Tom Brady in New England after he was drafted by the Patriots in 2014. And bringing him back to Foxborough could make plenty of sense for both parties. Garoppolo had success in New England’s system, is familiar with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and is the one signal-caller that can prove “The Patriot Way” isn’t Brady.
In his time with the Patriots, Jimmy Garoppolo started just 2 games but completed 71.2% of his passes for 496 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions as New England won both of his starts. With the 49ers giving up big to move up in the draft, the Patriots will be hesitant to move up. Jimmy G could be an upgrade over Cam Newton and bringing him back could work wonders.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos are not sure with their 2019 second-round pick in QB Drew Lock. Broncos could choose to draft a QB with the 9th pick in the draft but again with SF trading major draft capital to move up to 3, getting a top tier QB may be out of reach. Bringing in a vet like Jimmy Garoppolo could prove to be better than risking a high draft pick on a rookie QB that the Broncos don’t believe in.
With a receiving core that is loaded with weapons like Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, K.J Hamler, and Melvin Gordon, Jimmy Garoppolo could thrive in the mile-high city. Denver needs a veteran quarterback that can manage the game and is good enough to ignite the offence when needed. Garoppolo checks off both boxes.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers hit and missed with Teddy Bridgewater in 2020. They signed him to a huge 3 year $63M contract but his performance in 2020 wasn’t worthy of it. With Deshaun Watson trade talks stalling, bringing Jimmy Garoppolo could work out well for the team.
It may not have seemed like it but the Carolina Panthers were a good team in 2020. They went 5-11 but were 2-7 in 1 possession games which prove that the team has the talent to contend for a playoff spot.
Offensive coordinator Joe Brady likes to get all his playmakers in space, making it easier for the quarterback to execute passes — tailoring his offence to Garoppolo’s skill set. The Panthers could thrive with Garoppolo leading the offence.
Where Will Jimmy Garoppolo Go?
It isn’t a doubt that Jimmy G is worthy of being an NFL starter. But with his continued injury problems, his availability is a big question mark. Wherever Jimmy G goes will be one of the more interesting stories to look forward to in 2021.
