SF 49ers aren’t handcuffed like these 3 other quarterback contracts
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: Jared Goff, LA Rams
Contract Value: $134 million ($33.5 million annual average)
Both the SF 49ers and LA Rams run similar offensive schemes, and there’s an argument to be made both Jimmy Garoppolo and the Rams’ Jared Goff aren’t that far apart from each other in terms of skill set and ability within the systems. Goff is a better mover, perhaps, but one is almost a version 2.0 of the other.
But Los Angeles is much more handcuffed by Goff’s four-year, $134 million extension signed back in 2019. For the most part, it made sense at the time given the Rams were coming off a Super Bowl trip the year before and had thrived, offensively, under head coach Sean McVay for the bulk of 2018 before stumbling a bit down the stretch and into the playoffs.
OTC’s Jason Fitzgerald broke down what’s going on here with Goff and his situation in LA:
"Goff counts $34.95 million on the salary cap in 2021 and cutting him would cost the Rams an obscene $65.2 million ($49.8M as a June 1 designation) while cutting him a check for $43 million so let’s not talk about cuts because they cut Todd Gurley. This is a completely different animal when it comes to salary. Trading Goff, however, would cost $22.2 million if executed before the 2nd day of the league year, and $24.7 million if executed after that date which is reasonable if they have another QB they can acquire. The question is would anyone want him? Assuming the trade is made at the earliest date the cost for Goff would be $28.15 million in 2021, $26.15 million in 2022, $25.65 million in 2023, and $26.65 million in 2024. The team would certainly be on the hook for his entire 2021 salary and $15.5 million of his 2022 salary with the balance of his 2022 salary becoming guaranteed in early 2022."
All indications point to the Rams being handcuffed to Goff, at least in 2021 and essentially into 2022 as well.
Even though general manager Les Snead’s comments weren’t exactly endorsing:
"Moving on from Jared Goff, the money we've invested, that isn't easy to overcome ... (but) anything can be done in a cap-based system." --Rams GM Les Snead, speaking hypothetically when pressed on the possibility of having a new quarterback in 2021
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) January 26, 2021
These could, of course, be words for Goff to further motivate himself after a 2020 campaign in which he tossed just 20 touchdowns — the lowest since being made a full-time starter in 2017.
It’s nearly impossible for Los Angeles to move on from Goff, although bringing in some competition and fueling his need by words to get better could finally get the Rams the results they’ve wanted since 2018.