Deshaun Watson suspension clouds Jimmy Garoppolo trade rumors

Jimmy Garoppolo could still be in play for a trade to the Browns, but Deshaun Watson’s official suspension makes any 49ers trade package a bit murkier.

Strictly from a football standpoint, and having nothing to do with justifying the off-field allegations of sexual misconduct, the San Francisco 49ers were probably hoping for a yearlong suspension of Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson after an independent arbitrator originally ruled for a six-game suspension before commissioner Roger Goodell designated that ruling for an appeal.

Watson being out for the full year would have made Niners lame-duck quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo much more attractive a commodity to Cleveland heading into 2022.

And there were both reports and rumors the Browns would have been interested, provided San Francisco would eat some of Jimmy G’s $24.2 million base salary to have a trade executed.

Whether or not the 49ers would even entertain that is up for debate, but the latest bit of news regarding Watson is now in.

He won’t be suspended for a full season, rather it’s just 11 games and a total of $5 million in fines, according to multiple reports on Thursday, including CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson:

There’ll be enough debate and reaction as to whether or not that suspension is adequate.

Given the Niners need not concern themselves with that part of the breaking news, the updated suspension does impact their situation with Garoppolo in a massive way.

And it’s not necessarily good.

Will Browns still consider trading for 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo?

Back on Aug. 11, Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reported Cleveland would potentially explore a trade for Garoppolo if Watson’s suspension increased from the initial six games.

In theory, Cleveland should be interested based on Cabot’s report. But the new length of suspension doesn’t automatically indicate the Browns will pull a trigger.

For starters, the opening six weeks of Cleveland’s schedule is relatively easy:

• Week 1 @ Carolina Panthers
• Week 2 vs. New York Jets
• Week 3 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
• Week 4 @ Atlanta Falcons
• Week 5 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
• Week 6 vs. New England Patriots

Aside from Week 5 versus the Chargers, the Browns face some very beatable teams, and it’s possible they still want to roll with No. 2 quarterback Jacoby Brissett and not send off NFL Draft capital while absorbing $24.2 million (or a large portion of it) for an 11-week rental in Jimmy G.

Things do get a bit more challenging from Weeks 7 through 12, though:

• Week 7 @ Baltimore Ravens
• Week 8 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
• Week 9: BYE
• Week 10 @ Miami Dolphins
• Week 11 @ Buffalo Bills
• Week 12 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

If Cleveland is still hovering around the .500 mark by Week 12, having Watson back for Week 13 against his old team, the Houston Texans, would be a massive win from the Browns’ perspective.

Asking Brissett to handle that could still be a tall order, so one can’t rule out the possibility Garoppolo is traded to Cleveland. Additionally, the Browns are the only team in the NFL, currently, that can take on all of Jimmy G’s base salary without engineering any sort of roster jockeying, as they boast nearly $49 million in cap space right now, per Over the Cap.

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However, with a relatively sluggish market on Garoppolo, Cleveland can still afford to play proverbial “hardball” with San Francisco in light of Watson now poised to return for the final third of the regular season.

So, does this fully rule out the chance the 49ers will be able to trade Garoppolo to the Browns?

No, it doesn’t. If anything, it leaves the possibility somewhere in between not likely at all (where it was when Watson was slapped with the original six-game suspension) and very possible (where it could have been if Watson was suspended for all of 2022).

And that’s not particularly a great place for the Niners to be in with the regular season just around the corner.