The NFL saw quite a bit of quarterback turnover this offseason — much of it surprising. But perhaps the most surprising turn of events is Jimmy Garoppolo remaining in San Francisco. At least for now.
Garoppolo was widely expected to be traded before the 2022 NFL draft, but that has not come to fruition. And apparently, that has led to frustration and confusion for 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Former NFL executive Mike Lombardi revealed on his “The GM Shuffle” podcast earlier this week that Shanahan was grilling other executives about Garoppolo during the NFL owners meetings.
“I’m told this reliably, at the owners meetings Kyle Shanahan was asking other teams, ‘Why aren’t you interested in Garoppolo? He’s better than what you have,’ Lombardi said. “And they don’t want to give Garoppolo away, and Garoppolo is certainly valuable, and yet they don’t want to have to just give him away and I think ultimately that being tied up is what’s creating the issue (signing Deebo Samuel), and of course all these other contracts, too.”
Garoppolo is currently entering the final year of his contract and the rest of the league knows he won’t be re-signed. That leaves the 49ers, who are overvaluing him anyway, in a precarious position.
Compounding matters, Garoppolo is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and may not be ready until training camp. That’s certainly something that could give teams some pause.
Ultimately, the 49ers could cut Garoppolo outright and not take a financial hit, but they’re determined to get something of value in return. We’ll see how that plays out, but Shanahan may want to stop holding his breath.
