49ers would be happy if Colts move on from Carson Wentz

If the 49ers are indeed facing a colder trade market for Jimmy Garoppolo, they’d have to be happy if the Colts decide Carson Wentz isn’t their guy.

The San Francisco 49ers should be pulling for the Indianapolis Colts to move on from embattled quarterback Carson Wentz this offseason.

Amid rumors and speculation the Niners haven’t been receiving as hot of interest in a would-be trade for their own quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, the thought of adding to what should already be a whirlwind of an offseason quarterback carousel is surely beneficial.

Particularly if Indy is looking for an upgrade under center.

If this was the case, the Colts would join other teams in clear need of a quarterback in 2022, ones including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers, arguably more.

And the more teams in need of a signal-caller despite the offseason market providing few legitimate options, the better the news for San Francisco.

Are Colts surely looking to move on from Carson Wentz?

Indianapolis tried to resurrect Wentz’s career after it flamed out with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020, trading multiple NFL Draft picks to acquire him, including a conditional second-round selection that could turn into a Round 1 pick if he played 75 percent of the Colts’ offensive snaps, which he did.

Yet Wentz nevertheless led Indy to a 9-8 record and failed to regenerate the success he had with his former mentor in Philly, now-Colts head coach Frank Reich, and general manager Chris Ballard’s end-of-year comments on Wentz weren’t exactly an open endorsement:

Adding more fuel to the fire, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport appeared on the Pat McAfee Show to break down what his thoughts are regarding Wentz’s status and future in Indianapolis.

While Rapoport didn’t exactly say anything conclusive, aside from the usual speculation of always entertaining upgrades, the fact there’s nothing to suggest Wentz is still “the guy” is nevertheless telling:

https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/1497268829705097221

One might fairly speculate Indy is looking to move on from Wentz this offseason.

How Carson Wentz’s situation benefits 49ers and a would-be Jimmy Garoppolo trade

It’s pretty simple to gauge how this could help out a team like the 49ers. Some may argue both Wentz and Garoppolo are similar quarterbacks, the kind teams need to provide a lot of support to in order to be successful.

But Garoppolo, who has helped take the Niners to two NFC Championship games in three years, winning one of them, surely has more value on the open market than would Wentz, if the latter is released or dangled on the trade block.

Read More: Every team that ‘could’ target Jimmy Garoppolo in a trade

If the Colts do act aggressively and part ways with Wentz, they’d be another team in clear need of a quarterback, potentially driving up the market for Garoppolo’s services at a time when other reports have suggested it’s been relatively cold.

Good news for San Francisco.

Of course, especially this time of year, chatter about any quarterback’s security (outside of those well-established as franchise starters) is going to be rife, and there’s plenty of smoke with no discernible signs of fire.

Should Indianapolis truly want to move on from Wentz, it would help the 49ers, even if only in a roundabout way by creating another buyer on the quarterbacking market.

If not, the Niners are in no worse a situation than they were before.