The New England Patriots have been viewed as the most logical suitor for Jimmy Garoppolo should the San Francisco 49ers decide to trade him, but those rumors have cooled considerably in recent days. That does not mean Bill Belichick is ruling out bringing back his former quarterback.
ESPN’s Dianna Russini said on “Get Up!” Wednesday morning that she continues to hear the Patriots are interested in Garoppolo.
“I’ve talked to a bunch of people in the league about this, and enough people I trust have told me that the Patriots’ interest in Jimmy Garoppolo has been consistent,” Russini said, as transcribed by Bleacher Report’s Rob Goldberg. “This has got to be more San Francisco willing to make the deal and, of course, New England having the right amount of picks and money to get Jimmy to bring him back. And that’s really what it’s going to come down to.”
The 49ers moved up to No. 3 overall in the draft last week via a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins. While they are certain to draft a quarterback at that spot, they insist Garoppolo remains in their plans for 2021.
That could be more posturing than anything. Head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted this week that a Garoppolo trade remains a possibility if the Niners are blown away by an offer. It’s also worth noting that at least one report has claimed the Patriots are no longer pursuing a Garoppolo trade, but that might be gamesmanship from their side.
The 49ers clearly do not view Garoppolo as their long-term solution at QB. They may be leaning toward taking a big risk with the No. 3 pick, but they would not have given up so much to move up if they truly believed in Garoppolo. For that reason alone, a trade involving Jimmy G. cannot be ruled out.
