The San Francisco 49ers have been reported to be looking to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo but there might only be one trade that would make them do that.
In an increasingly lucrative quarterback market in the 2021 NFL offseason, the San Francisco 49ers figured to be one of the biggest players. Whenever a player has been made available, the notion of the team moving on from current starter Jimmy Garoppolo and changing faces has been floated. The reasons as to why aren’t hard to find.
For as much as the 49ers have succeeded when Garoppolo has been healthy, the fact of the matter is that he’s not a top-tier player at the position. And now that his lucrative contract with San Francisco has an out that won’t cripple the franchise against the salary cap, it figures they might explore moving on. However, the situations in which they would do that may be far more limited than expected.
Appearing on SportsCenter on Sunday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Bleacher Report) noted that San Francisco was happy to begin the 2021 season with Garoppolo as the team believes they can win with him. In fact, Fowler stated that it would take a “Deshaun Watson effect” for the Niners to move their quarterback.
It’s worth noting that Watson’s list of teams that intrigue him indeed includes the 49ers, among others. And if a team that was in the Super Bowl just over a year ago could add a player of Watson’s caliber to upgrade from Garoppolo, they’d have to consider it. Having said that, the overall approach they’re currently taking is the proper one.
49ers are right not to be overly eager to get rid of Jimmy Garoppolo
Yes, Garoppolo is going to be winning NFL MVP anytime soon. Moreover, he’s not going to be one of the statistical leaders as a passer in any category. But he is a solid player who has proven capable of playing well enough to lead his team to a Super Bowl berth and on the cusp of winning a Lombardi Trophy.
When you have a quarterback that is surrounded by a roster capable of going that far, the team has to explore options to upgrade at the position. However, they shouldn’t be looking to move on just for the sake of change. It has to be a substantial upgrade to justify any type of move in that ilk.
Trading for Watson would be that. Trading for Carson Wentz or something in that ballpark, though, would not be. Thus, if the 49ers are taking the approach as Fowler is reporting, then they are going about it the right way.