How Aaron Rodgers new deal impacts Jimmy Garoppolo trade market

It might be easier for the 49ers to trade Jimmy Garoppolo now that Aaron Rodgers has signed a massive new deal to stick around with the Packers.

So much for all that speculation and chatter about whether or not Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers would either want to retire this offseason or find “greener” pastures elsewhere outside of Lambeau Field.

Rodgers’ situation has been weird all offseason, which isn’t officially a month old yet.

Nevertheless, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported, the Packers are deciding to retain him on a new four-year deal worth $200 million, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history:

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1501232835486703625

Rodgers was likely to be the first domino to fall in what could be a whirlwind of a quarterback carousel this offseason. A number of teams, including the Denver Broncos, were thought to be favorites in trying to trade for the back-to-back league MVP.

Even the San Francisco 49ers were speculated to be in the mix.

The Niners, of course, have their own quarterback situation to figure out, and it’s highlighted by the desire to trade veteran signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason to pave the way for last year’s first-round draft pick, Trey Lance, to start in 2022.

Garoppolo’s trade market, especially amid what’s considered to be a bad offseason for quarterback-needy teams, nevertheless got off to a slow start.

But, with Rodgers now not going anywhere, one might expect teams to pick up interest in potentially acquiring Jimmy G.

Aaron Rodgers deal with Packers directly impacts Jimmy Garoppolo trade market

Rodgers was easily the biggest name of all the quarterbacks speculated to be available this offseason, perhaps only rivaled by the Seattle Seahawks’ Russell Wilson, who is now on the move to the Denver Broncos in another blockbuster deal.

From there, teams in need of a quarterback have only second- and third-rate options, and Garoppolo surely falls into that category after suffering both a thumb and shoulder sprain late in the season, tacking on to what’s been a sizable injury history during his San Francisco tenure.

Still, and despite his own physical limitations, Garoppolo has played a role in the 49ers making it to two NFC Championship games in the last three years, winning one of them, and teams do take value in being atop playoff-caliber franchises.

Teams who may have been in on the Rodgers sweepstakes (or even for Wilson) will now need to look elsewhere. And while it’s likely Green Bay looks to move Rodgers’ initially anticipated heir apparent, quarterback Jordan Love, Garoppolo nevertheless remains a more polished option.

Putting things more bluntly, those options are starting to dry up for those teams in need of a quarterback, yet Garoppolo is still there.

Perhaps the best available quarterback dangling on the trade block.

49ers may move Jimmy Garoppolo sooner than later now

Currently, according to Over the Cap, the Niners sit at $1.05 million over the $208.2 million salary cap, and they’ll need to have their top 51 contracts under that threshold by the time the league new year starts on March 16.

Sure, there’ll be some wiggle room between now and then, and $1 million isn’t exactly tough to clear. But to attack NFL free agency and re-sign some of the team’s own high-priority free agents, general manager John Lynch and Co. will need to clear up more cap space.

Moving Garoppolo between now and the deadline, either by the way of a trade or a straight-out release, would free up $25.55 million in additional cap space.

Even if Garoppolo’s market started off coldly, it’s likely a few more teams will be calling Lynch about what it would take to acquire Garoppolo. San Francisco might have no chance to land a high-end draft pick in return, but the package could nevertheless be enough to convince the 49ers to pull the trigger.

Probably sooner than later now, and maybe the 49ers can thank Rodgers and the Packers for finally figuring their situation out.