The 49ers are itching for a change at quarterback and the latest name to potentially unseat Jimmy Garoppolo is Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew.
One team constantly linked to potential quarterbacks on the move is the San Francisco 49ers, who have reportedly been interested in both Matthew Stafford and Deshaun Watson. While the Niners have insisted that they’re sticking with Jimmy Garoppolo in 2021, reports still continue to circulate about how they’re looking at other options.
The latest name to emerge in these rumors, which circulated via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, is Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew, who is likely going to be on his way out of Jacksonville after the team landed the No. 1 overall pick and also signed former 49ers backup quarterback C.J. Beathard. The quarterback room in Jacksonville is too cramped now, so it makes sense for Minshew to be on the move.
While Minshew is an interesting player, he’s not a better option for the 49ers at quarterback. Yes, he’s a funny guy and his mustache is very cool, but he’s not the answer in San Francisco. Maybe as a backup, but to swap him and Garoppolo would be a foolish decision by the Niners.
The 49ers appear ready to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo, but doing so with Gardner Minshew wouldn’t be a good move on their end.
Garoppolo might not be a top-tier quarterback in the NFL, but a little over a year ago, he was the quarterback of the 49ers when they went to the Super Bowl. He missed one throw in Super Bowl LIV and if he didn’t overshoot Emmanuel Sanders on that pass, Garoppolo is a Super Bowl champion (this time as a starting quarterback — he has two rings from his Patriots years).
The biggest knock on Garoppolo during his time with the 49ers has been that he can’t stay healthy. He’s only started all 16 regular-season games once in his career and that was in 2019, which was the season where the Niners made it to the Super Bowl. Otherwise, he’s been a good quarterback and when he’s starting for San Francisco, they’re winning games (he’s 22-8 in the regular season).
Minshew isn’t a bad quarterback by any means and could be a starter with the right team, but that team wouldn’t be the 49ers. He’s also suffered injuries throughout his young career and wasn’t able to get the Jaguars more than one win in 2020.
If the 49ers are serious about wanting to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo, then the draft is probably the best way to go at this point. Gardner Minshew might be an eccentric guy, but he’s not a better option at quarterback than the guy the Niners already have.