Jimmy Garoppolo: Rethinking 4 teams that could trade for 49ers QB

Jimmy Garoppolo is definitively on the trade block, for sure now, which possibly points to one of these four teams striking a deal with the 49ers.

On Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the San Francisco 49ers had granted permission to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and his camp to seek out a trade in the waning days of the offseason.

It shouldn’t be considered new news. After all, there are numerous bits of concrete evidence suggesting the Niners were both trying to move the veteran signal-caller earlier this offseason and allowed Garoppolo’s side to explore options, too, including comments from San Francisco’s front office itself.

If anything, though, Schefter’s report only reinforces the notion the 49ers are preparing to move on while opening the door for second-year pro Trey Lance to emerge as the starting quarterback going forward.

While the bulk of starting-quarterback gigs has been filled as training camps around the league start, let’s take a look at which teams may either be rumored to have interest in Jimmy G or could be an 11th-hour trade partner with the Niners here.

Jimmy Garoppolo trade destination No. 4: Cleveland Browns

On the surface, it appears as of the Cleveland Browns are showing no interest in trading for Garoppolo despite moving quarterback Baker Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers earlier this offseason and in light of what could be a hefty suspension to fellow signal-caller Deshaun Watson.

According to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, Cleveland “never seriously considered trading for Garoppolo this offseason,” which would point to backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett likely getting the start if Watson is out for a lengthy period of time.

Albeit with some backup help:

Still, boasting a roster ready to win now and with plenty of cap space, the above information could theoretically be part of a smoke-and-mirrors campaign with the intent of driving down Garoppolo’s market.

And, as Niner Noise’s Jeremy Wohlfart pointed out, the Browns have a problematic cap situation in 2023, which could point to them needing to be aggressive now instead of waiting a full year and hoping the context improves.

Again, it doesn’t seem overly likely Cleveland emerges as a front-runner for Garoppolo here. But the possibility of it happening can’t be removed either.

Jimmy Garoppolo trade destination No. 3: Atlanta Falcons

This is something new and of note.

Just a day after Adam Schefter’s report broke, Stacking the Board’s Cam Marino reported the Atlanta Falcons were “one of five known teams” potentially in on Jimmy Garoppolo:

Unlike Cleveland, Atlanta’s roster isn’t exactly poised to win now, and it might be viewed as the fourth-best team in a still-underwhelming NFC South behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Nevertheless, the Falcons pursuing Garoppolo does make some sense.

After trading veteran Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts earlier this offseason, Atlanta’s stopgap option was to sign former Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders signal-caller Marcus Mariota to plug the void.

Perhaps this helps bridge the gap until the Falcons’ third-round NFL Draft choice, former Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder, is ready to go. But Mariota’s injury history is lengthy, and he might not be viewed as a legitimate QB1 at this stage of his career anyway.

With just under $12 million in salary cap space, it might be tough for Atlanta to figure out a way to absorb Garoppolo’s post-trade $25.5 million due without some serious roster jockeying or a negotiated restructure, though.

Jimmy Garoppolo trade destination No. 2: Seattle Seahawks

Yes, we should still put one of the Niners’ chief rivals, the Seattle Seahawks, on this list.

Sure, inter-division trades are awfully rare, but they do happen. And unlike the previous 10 years when the Hawks were dominating San Francisco during quarterback Russell Wilson’s reign up north, Seattle now enters 2022 with two less-than-ideal starting signal-callers, Drew Lock and Geno Smith, and one of the more talent-lacking rosters in the league.

Like the Falcons, the Seahawks boasting $16.4 million in cap space would require some moving pieces, although cutting Smith in favor of Jimmy Garoppolo would free up an additional $3.5 million.

But that still doesn’t answer the question of whether the 49ers would entertain trading within the NFC West and likely improve the Hawks’ roster in the process.

However, if we assume Seattle is one of those teams that’d jump on Garoppolo if he was suddenly available in the wake of the Niners releasing him outright, San Francisco trying to get at least something out of its division rival by the way of a trade makes some sense.

Especially if there’s a bit of a bidding war on Garoppolo’s services, which would help drive up the compensation cost, even if it’s still only a modest amount.

Jimmy Garoppolo trade destination No. 1: New York Giants

Talk of Jimmy Garoppolo potentially going to the Browns or Seahawks is nothing new this offseason. Yet the rumors about the Falcons and New York Giants possibly being interested are a little more recent and provocative.

NFL Network’s David Carr recently speculated the G-Men could pursue Garoppolo by the way of a trade, especially once the quarterback is fully cleared from offseason shoulder surgery.

While New York seems poised to give its former first-round quarterback, Daniel Jones, one last shot before his rookie contract runs out at the end of the upcoming season, there are some points that make a Giants trade for Garoppolo a possibility.

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For starters, Jones’ own struggles despite an upgraded offense last year are concerning. Plus, first-year head coach Brian Daboll inherited Jones and might not be overly eager to let him play a full year before the G-Men seek out better options in 2023.

In terms of immediate success, one might view Garoppolo as a substantial upgrade over Jones anyway, and the always-present pressure in New York could prompt the Giants to be much more aggressive here.

However, the G-Men boast just over $5 million in cap space, so a trade would have to be awfully creative and likely must involve a renegotiated deal between New York, San Francisco and Garoppolo in some way or another.

Still, the Giants have to be viewed as a possibility.