While there’s a small chance Jimmy Garoppolo could actually stay with the 49ers next season, he’s likely moving on, and these teams may suit his needs best.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers are playing with house money right now, fresh off a thrilling Week 18 overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams that propelled them into the playoffs.
Garoppolo was far from perfect in that game. Yet he was a massive reason why the Niners overcame a 17-point deficit to ultimately pull off the victory.
And with a high-profile Wild Card matchup against the Dallas Cowboys now on the table, Garoppolo will look to continue improving his player stock all the way into the offseason.
Whenever San Francisco’s current campaign comes to a close.
Garoppolo is still under contract with the 49ers through 2022, so there’s always the slight chance he’ll stick around one more year. But, with the Niners trading a swarm of future NFL Draft picks for the rights to grab quarterback Trey Lance at No. 3 overall last spring, one would be better off assuming Garoppolo is proverbially “riding off into the sunset” as best as he can with San Francisco.
Whether the 49ers trade him or release him outright, these four quarterback-needy teams would ideally wind up being best-fit cases for Jimmy G in 2022.
No. 4: Jimmy Garoppolo to the Minnesota Vikings
It’s anyone’s guess what the Minnesota Vikings are going to do this offseason in the wake of firing head coach Mike Zimmer. Their own quarterback, Kirk Cousins, is potentially on the outs, too, although his current contractual situation makes this awfully precarious and difficult to predict.
Nevertheless, a completely revamped Minnesota front office is likely on the table, and outside of the Green Bay Packers, the rest of the NFC North isn’t exactly poised to be overly good anytime soon.
Like another team on this list, the Vikings will have to nail their head-coaching decision or at least land a quality offensive coordinator. Yet the roster has pieces tailored to give Garoppolo some much-needed weaponry, namely a strong ground game behind running back Dalvin Cook to pair with one of the league’s best young wide receivers, Justin Jefferson.
Garoppolo and Cousins might be of similar ilk, decent quarterbacks who at least need a quality supporting cast.
Yet Minnesota has that, offensively, and perhaps all that’s needed here is the spark to put the Vikings back into playoff contention in an otherwise shaky division.
Plus, Jimmy G would get to play his boyhood team, the Chicago Bears, twice a year. That’s a nice bonus.
No. 3: Jimmy Garoppolo to the New Orleans Saints
Similar to the Vikings, albeit for very different reasons, the New Orleans Saints might not have the ability to land an expensive quarterback during the offseason, namely due to them projected as being over $63 million above the 2022 NFL salary cap.
There are a few things clear here, though.
First, New Orleans isn’t going to be a true contender with quarterback Taysom Hill, and his gadget-like usage is probably more beneficial to the Saints’ future than him actually being asked to serve as a traditional signal-caller. Additionally, veteran quarterback Jameis Winston isn’t likely to return after tearing his ACL earlier this season.
If New Orleans can figure out the cap situation, though, Jimmy Garoppolo does make a lot of sense.
For starters, the AFC South, outside the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is another division in limbo and wide open behind the front-running Bucs. Running back Alvin Kamara, one of the best dual-purpose weapons in the NFL right now, could also take pressure off Garoppolo from having to rely solely on his limited passing abilities.
There’s a strong offensive line in NOLA, too.
More importantly, Garoppolo would pair with head coach Sean Payton, one of the league’s most innovative and productive coaches out there, who’d surely be able to get the most out of Jimmy G regardless of the context.
No. 2: Jimmy Garoppolo to the Denver Broncos
As we noted with the Vikings, the Denver Broncos also have to nail their head-coaching hire and/or find the right offensive coordinator to get back in contention amid one of the tougher divisions in the league, the AFC West.
Of all the rebuilding teams in 2022, though, Denver might have the best foundation, at least in terms of the roster. The offensive line is notably young and good enough, the Broncos defense has high-level contributors at every level, and that offense features some notable weapons at the skill positions, namely tight end Noah Fant and wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy.
What’s been lacking, something that’s been a Broncos problem ever since Hall of Famer Peyton Manning retired, has been an effective quarterback.
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Drew Lock isn’t it. And while his efforts have been admirable, Teddy Bridgewater isn’t a realistic signal-calling option either.
Jimmy Garoppolo wouldn’t have to play at the level of other AFC West quarterbacks, such as Patrick Mahomes or Justin Herbert.
As has been the case with the Niners, Garoppolo wouldn’t have to be the best quarterback in his division. A strong supporting roster would make up the difference.
No. 1: Jimmy Garoppolo to the Pittsburgh Steelers
Of all the teams this offseason on the hunt for a new quarterback, few should stand out as more desirable locations than the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Mike Tomlin has delivered solidarity and consistency at head coach despite whatever context his team has had over the years. And despite a shaky offensive line and less-than-stellar play from the soon-to-retire quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers nevertheless managed to get themselves into the postseason.
All credit should be due to Tomlin, who won’t soon allow Pittsburgh to become wallowed in mediocrity once Big Ben departs.
Should the Steelers fix their O-line woes and beef up their run defense, there’s no reason to expect a significant drop-off in relevancy within the AFC next season. Plus, Pittsburgh has that unique knack for identifying, drafting and developing wide receiver talent.
That’ll be a massive boost for Garoppolo, should he see the Steelers as an ideal destination.
Especially with the knowledge Pittsburgh is perennially in the postseason discussion on a year-to-year basis.