Jimmy Garoppolo: 4 teams that now wish they traded for 49ers QB
By Peter Panacy
Panthers were ‘were top of the list’ of trade candidates for Jimmy Garoppolo
Jimmy Garoppolo and Kyle Shanahan both slammed the door on the head coach Matt Rhule era with the Carolina Panthers in Week 5, demolishing Carolina by a score of 37-15 in a statement win over an inferior opponent.
All the while, San Francisco reminded the Panthers that they made a mistake in trading for quarterback Baker Mayfield earlier this offseason, even though one might argue the Cleveland Browns ultimately lost that trade by having to pay a hefty portion of his contract.
Read More: Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers effectively ‘end’ Panthers head coach Matt Rhule
Interestingly enough, Carolina was reportedly a top contender for Garoppolo’s services last offseason.
The source? Garoppolo himself.
“I think we were advancing with a couple different teams. Nothing, obviously came to fruition,” Garoppolo said, via NFL.com. [The Panthers] were top of the list, I would say, one of the top couple. I’m glad things worked out. I’m here, so I’m focused on this stuff now.”
It’s hard to fathom whether or not Garoppolo would have been a significant upgrade over Mayfield on the field, but one might at least appreciate Garoppolo’s locker-room presence, which the 49ers have certainly enjoyed despite their desire to trade him.