3 former 49ers players who failed with their new team in 2023
By Peter Panacy
Some former 49ers didn't go on to have the best success after leaving San Francisco, including these three.
It makes sense why players opt to depart franchises in search of "greener" pastures elsewhere.
For some, it's the lure of a blockbuster contract from a new squad. For others, it's the chance to play for a preferred coach or with a friend on another roster. Often, it can include Super Bowl aspirations.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, players often wind up being cast off from their original teams for younger, cheaper and even better options.
Whatever the case, leaving the San Francisco 49ers hasn't always been a successful choice for those who have made that decision, either by their own accord or because the Niners didn't want them around anymore.
Let's take a look at three former players who just didn't come close to having success after leaving San Francisco.
No. 1: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (Raiders)
Perhaps no other 49ers player in recent memory epitomizes this than quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Garoppolo's tenure with the Niners, from 2017 through 2022, was tumultuous and included plenty of injuries, yet he achieved career-best numbers for a perennial Super Bowl contender within that span. Yet San Francisco continuously sought upgrades amid Jimmy G trade rumors, namely by trading up to draft now-Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance in 2021 and then subsequently developing Brock Purdy into a starter toward the end of 2022.
The result? Garoppolo was allowed to let walk entering 2023.
Garoppolo inked a three-year contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, but even that was marred with controversy, as a foot injury forced Vegas to rework the terms of his deal. Benched after just six starts amid a career-low 77.7 passer rating, Garoppolo's future with the silver and black looked even bleaker when Las Vegas terminated head coach Josh McDaniels.
A subsequent PED suspension this offseason, paired with news that Garoppolo would be released just one year into his three-year contract, fully tanked what little value Jimmy G has on the open market.
Speaking of Lance...