49ers rumors: Raiders are in hot pursuit of Jimmy Garoppolo

The 49ers are planning to bid farewell to Jimmy Garoppolo for the second offseason in a row, but it looks as if this AFC team will actually bite.

The San Francisco 49ers tried saying goodbye to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo a year ago.

Except they couldn’t. Since he was still under contract, and the Niners elected not to release him outright, Garoppolo stayed put and actually ended up benefiting San Francisco to the tune of a 7-3 record before suffering a season-ending foot injury in Week 13.

Now, the 49ers are ready to bid farewell again. Only this time, Jimmy G is a free agent. Once March 15 comes around, he’ll be free to sign with whatever team offers him the best situation.

One of those teams is likely to be the Las Vegas Raiders.

49ers’ old Bay Area rivals, the Raiders, are expected to pursue Jimmy Garoppolo as a contingency plan to Aaron Rodgers

Las Vegas said goodbye to its own embattled veteran quarterback, Derek Carr, late last month. In the wake of Carr signing a lucrative four-year deal with the New Orleans Saints, Garoppolo’s own market will likely heat up in the near future.

One of those teams reportedly in the hunt is the Raiders.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano (h/t 49ers Webzone) broke down not only the chances of Las Vegas going after Jimmy G, but more specifically, why. The Raiders’ No. 1 plan, according to the report, is to somehow land Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

If that doesn’t happen, though, Garoppolo might be the No. 2 option:

"If they can’t get [Rodgers], a lot of people in Indianapolis this week expect [Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels] and GM Dave Ziegler to pursue free agent quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, whom they know from his time in New England early in his career."

Related Story: John Lynch confirms Jimmy G’s tenure with Niners is all but over

McDaniels, of course, has that on-field familiarity with Garoppolo from their days together with the Patriots.

Carr’s deal worth up to $150 million, $100 million of which is fully guaranteed, should provide the context and situation for Jimmy G to ask for a similar deal worth roughly $37.5 million, annually.

Las Vegas currently has over $39 million in available cap space, according to Over the Cap, so such a deal would be possible without any serious roster jockeying.

But, in a division with quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the reigning Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs, would Garoppolo be that much of an upgrade over Carr?

That’s a question for the Raiders, not the 49ers anymore.