Jimmy Garoppolo has ‘vital help’ inside San Francisco 49ers group
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was thrown for a round earlier this off-season as his organization climbed from 12th choice to 3rd overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
By this point, it was pretty clear that San Francisco’s brass had lost confidence that Garoppolo would stay sane. The clear goal was quarterback. Then, in late April, the 49ers pulled the trigger by choosing the North Dakota state’s Trey Lance product as their third choice.
The setting here was the huge bounty general manager John Lynch and Co. given to the Miami Dolphins in the aforementioned deal. This included two future selections for the first round and a third round for 2022. At this point, Jimmy Garoppolo was also exposed to trade rumors.
Now that things have subsided on that front, and it’s less than two months before training camp begins, it is starting to look like Garoppolo will be staying in the Bay Area. He’ll also be competing with Lance for the starting job this summer.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (h / t Bleacher Report), there is still strong support for Garoppolo in the 49ers organization.
“I was told that Garoppolo still has significant support in the 49ers building,” Fowler reported on Sunday. “You have the feeling that when he’s in the lineup, he’s healthy. We win.”
This could very well be a PR spin at the front of the 49ers. The commercial market for Garoppolo has deteriorated significantly after the New England Patriots (Mac Jones) and Chicago Bears (Justin Fields) drafted quarterbacks in the first round of drafting. The Denver Broncos’ status as frontrunner for Aaron Rodgers adds another layer to that.
Should the San Francisco 49ers trust Jimmy Garoppolo?
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There are a number of factors to consider here. When Garoppolo has been the spotlight in San Francisco since it was acquired by New England in mid-2017, he has only won. The same cannot be said of the plethora of mediocre quarterbacks Kyle Shanahan threw out there during that time.
- With Jimmy Garoppolo from: 22-8
- With other starting quarterbacks: 7-27
These are some eye-opening divisions. It’s also important to note that Garoppolo is rightly less than 16 months away from leading San Francisco to a Super Bowl appearance. This cannot be lost in the dialog.
Even then, it’s about keeping the quarterback healthy. He has missed 23 out of 48 possible injury games in the last three seasons. This included a torn ACL in 2018 and multiple ankle injuries that limited the 29-year-old quarterback to six games in 2020. This resulted in San Francisco acting primarily for Trey Lance.
It’s not an either-or scenario for the San Francisco 49ers
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This is something that is not getting enough attention as the 49ers prepare for a 2021 season in which they are expected to battle for a title.
Garoppolo will offset $ 26.38 million against the cap in 2021. The 49ers can save a ridiculous $ 23.6 million by releasing or bargaining the veteran. It has led to speculation that it will be moved.
With that said, San Francisco budgeted Garoppolo’s cap hit ahead of the free agency. It doesn’t feel like restructuring this contract that would tie the quarterback financially with the 49ers beyond the next season.
Rather, the more likely scenario here is that Garoppolo beats Lance for the starting job during training camp, with the rookie being used in certain packages. It’s somewhat similar to what we saw with Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick in 2012 before he finally took the starting job and led San Francisco to the Super Bowl.
Some might conclude that the 49ers’ interest in a blockbuster deal for Julio Jones would change the momentum on that front. I’m not sure. San Francisco can create enough leeway to acquire the Pro Bowl wide receiver without having to restructure Jimmy Garoppolo’s contract or leave him entirely.
