5 options at quarterback if 49ers lose Jimmy Garoppolo to injury

Option No. 3: 49ers trade with Colts for Jacoby Brissett

There aren’t too many quarterbacks out there who would be worth trading for, and those who are probably aren’t up for grabs from their respective teams. Perhaps the Washington Football Team’s Alex Smith having a reunion in San Francisco after his heroic recovery from that horrendous 2018 leg injury would be a cool story, but that seems quite unlikely at this point.

No, Kyle Shanahan would want ready-to-go options right now, even if his team’s stock of NFL Draft picks is limited to just six in 2021. But the Indianapolis Colts could be a trade partner again, and the offseason move between Indy and the Niners for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner showed a rapport between general managers Chris Ballard and John Lynch.

In this case, it would be for now-backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who is now the No. 2 behind the veteran, Philip Rivers.

Brissett is in a contract year and will be a free agent in 2021. It’s highly unlikely the Colts retain him, even though Rivers is also in a contract year, too. So that opens up the door for Indy to be potentially thrilled at the idea of getting something, anything in exchange for Brissett before he walks in free agency.

Granted, the 49ers would have to figure out how to absorb a would-be $14.9 cap hit after the trade. But Shanahan would be getting an established starter with enough practical experience under his belt to suggest San Francisco’s competitive edge wouldn’t suffer too much.