Jimmy Garoppolo: 5 trade destinations for SF 49ers quarterback

There’s a buzz the SF 49ers are looking to upgrade from Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, meaning these five trade spots could happen.

A best guess? Probably 50-50 the SF 49ers retain quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo into 2021.

Sure, there are going to be the arguments from fans, “he took us to the Super Bowl,” which are fine. And that’s true. But it’s just as fair an argument to point out how the Niners defense and run game were equally as important to 2019 as Jimmy G’s efforts.

Perhaps even more so.

If the Super Bowl aspect is a fact, so is Garoppolo’s 2018 ACL tear and missing all but six games in 2020 because of an ankle injury. With Garoppolo scheduled to make $26.6 million in 2021, all one needs to do is ask whether or not another team would be willing to shell out that kind of money for him on a free-agent deal if he was available.

Probably not, and that’s why Garoppolo probably would waive the no-trade clause worked into his contract, if for no other reason than to retain the money he’d otherwise be passing up if he refused and was subsequently cut.

Another fact is San Francisco currently has the second-best odds to acquire Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, and there’s been growing buzz about that possibility coming to fruition.

Should something like that happen, Garoppolo becomes a tradable asset. And these five teams could easily be suitors.

Jimmy Garoppolo Suitor No. 5: Detroit Lions

The Lions are poised to undergo a massive rebuild under newly hired head coach Dan Campbell, which prompted Stafford asking for a trade in the first place.

It’s unlikely a straight-up quarterback-for-quarterback trade would get the job done, however. Despite Stafford’s limited team-wide success, he’s still a top volume passer and has thrown for over 4,000 yards in eight of his 12 years at the NFL level. The SF 49ers haven’t had someone like that since the days of former quarterback Jeff Garcia.

But the cost in compensation might not be too expensive. Pro Football Talk’s Peter King suggested a move for Stafford could involve Garoppolo and a mere second-round pick to get the job done.

That’s hardly anything, and it would benefit both sides.

The Lions would get a high-profile pick on day two, a starting-caliber quarterback and the same easy outs, contractually, associated with Garoppolo’s contract in 2022. If Garoppolo found success in Detroit, that’s only another bonus.