3 choices 49ers have left with Jimmy Garoppolo (and why each make sense)

The 49ers ideally would have had Jimmy Garoppolo moved by now, but there are still some feasible options on the table ahead of training camp.

The San Francisco 49ers just wrapped up offseason workouts consisting of organized team activities and mandatory minicamp.

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo didn’t partake in any of them.

This, of course, stems from offseason shoulder surgery in the wake of an injury suffered during the playoffs last season. And while other factors played a role, that injury is likely the biggest X-factor in why the Niners had no luck trying to trade him earlier this offseason as part of the plan to fully transition to second-year signal-caller Trey Lance.

The rest of the league has seemingly settled on its quarterbacking options, leaving Garoppolo in an uncomfortable and uncertain spot on San Francisco’s offseason roster. And while the 49ers have indicated they won’t simply “give Jimmy G away” for nothing, they are inching closer to having to make a decision.

One of these three remaining decisions they have, most likely.

49ers option No. 3: Trade Jimmy Garoppolo to the highest bidder (if there are any)

The Niners have stubbornly stuck to their plan and hope to trade Jimmy G. But they may be faced with the hard reality that no team is willing to dish out a first-, second- or even a third-round NFL Draft pick for a 30-year-old oft-injured middle-of-the-road quarterback.

Especially one whose post-trade salary would be $25.5 million.

Granted, Garoppolo might be coerced into accepting a post-trade restructured and less-expensive deal, but that tacks on another X-factor into the equation, one which might stall trade talks.

That said, quarterbacking landscapes do change. All it would take is for another team to lose its starter to an injury in training camp, another team to seek an upgrade (such as the Carolina Panthers) or a team like the Cleveland Browns to get desperate amid all the drama surrounding their new starter, Deshaun Watson.

And, no, Cleveland won’t be able to welcome back understandably disgruntled signal-caller Baker Mayfield if Watson faces a lengthy suspension.

Remember, though, the Philadelphia Eagles once traded lame-duck quarterback Sam Bradford to the Minnesota Vikings in 2016 for a first-round pick when Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater suffered a serious knee injury during offseason programs.

San Francisco can still hold out hope the market for Garoppolo likewise improves between now and Week 1, and another team’s desperation could play to the 49ers’ benefit.