SF 49ers: 5 players who could be surprise cuts this offseason
By Peter Panacy
No. 1: SF 49ers Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo
San Francisco is in a bit of a predicament with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo heading into 2021.
On one hand, he’s capable enough of a signal-caller to carry the team to a Super Bowl. Last season proved that, as Garoppolo passed for nearly 4,000 yards and finished fourth on the franchise’s all-time single-season passing list.
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Yet his limitations within Kyle Shanahan’s offense create a scenario where it’s possible the SF 49ers want to move on this offseason.
Both in terms of generating cap space and going with someone more dynamic and capable under center.
Granted, moving on from Jimmy G, either by way of a trade or straight-up cut, opens up a slew of other problems, namely worrying about who would be qualified enough to replace him. A trade would be ideal, yes, if this is inevitably the route Shanahan and the Niners choose to take.
But it always takes two to trade, and another team might not be willing to take on Garoppolo’s $26.9 million cap hit next season in light of his reputation and 2020 injury history.
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Should San Francisco move on, however, $24.1 million in cap space would be freed up, which would be more than enough to maintain the remaining integrity of the roster.
Cap figures and contract information courtesy of Over the Cap.