Jimmy Garoppolo has said his goodbyes to the San Francisco 49ers. Where might he wind up playing in 2022 and beyond after his time with the Niners?
In the 2022 NFL offseason, Jimmy Garoppolo is going to be a coveted commodity. Prepare yourself, brace yourself, ready yourself.
Garoppolo may not be the option every fan base with a need at quarterback is gushing over, but the fact of the matter is, this guy has consistently been part of winning teams with the right infrastructure in place.
It stands to reason that could continue at another destination that has the right pieces in place on the coaching staff and on the roster. Garoppolo may not be the tide that raises all boats, but few other QBs have come within inches of reaching the Super Bowl in two of the last three years.
Where will Garoppolo land in 2022? We’ve already taken one stab at some destinations, but in the NFL offseason, things are always changing and expanding.
Jimmy Garoppolo destination no. 1: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have now been launched into the discussion of teams that need a quarterback in the 2022 offseason.
Tom Brady has retired. The Bucs got a Super Bowl out of the decision to sign Tom Brady in free agency, so I think we can all safely say that was an unbelievably smart move, regardless of the position they find themselves in right now.
Back in 2017, Jimmy Garoppolo was traded away from the Patriots where he was Tom Brady’s backup. In 2022, could Garoppolo be acquired to replace Brady on a different team?
That would really be something.
The Buccaneers have all of the pieces in place with the coaching staff and roster to help Garoppolo succeed in their system. The big question here is whether or not Bruce Arians will be around for the foreseeable future and if Garoppolo is projecting a longer-term destination, will he want to go to the Bucs?
I think they are a solid option for him.
Jimmy Garoppolo destination no. 2: Pittsburgh Steelers
Perhaps one of the most attractive options for any quarterback in the 2022 offseason?
The Pittsburgh Steelers.
Mike Tomlin is one of the best head coaches in the league, and now the Steelers have to figure out how they are going to replace Ben Roethlisberger. After the 2022 NFL Draft, they are also going to have to replace general manager Kevin Colbert.
Even still, it’s hard to argue with the talent this team has on the offensive side of the ball and this is a situation I think most QBs would love to get to if they have the chance.
The Steelers have been all over players like Sam Howell and Malik Willis in the 2022 NFL Draft process, but would they scoff at the chance to add Garoppolo, who has proven he can distribute the ball to a wide variety of playmakers effectively?
Maybe the Steelers will fix their gaze on Aaron Rodgers, but Rodgers would also have to pick the Steelers over every other situation.
For the price to acquire him (maybe a 2nd or 3rd-round pick), I think Jimmy Garoppolo and a draft pick could be a great option for the Steelers in 2022.
Jimmy Garoppolo destination no. 3: New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints have a lot to figure out in the coming weeks.
Who’s going to be this team’s head coach after Sean Payton stepped down?
How will they get out of a $74 million salary cap hole?
What’s the long-term solution at quarterback?
After the retirement of Drew Brees, the Saints entered a purgatory of sorts and Jameis Winston’s knee injury in 2021 really put them in an unfortunate and risky situation.
We know the Saints are going to find a way to get out of their salary cap predicament. What we do not know at the time of this writing is who will be the team’s head coach.
That could change a lot of what this team plans to do at the quarterback position going forward. Given their cap situation, the Saints would seem to be a team that would make a lot of sense to develop a young QB.
If New Orleans decides to hire a defensive-centric head coach, however, they could very well look to a veteran like Jimmy Garoppolo to keep them in contention in a weak NFC South. And he could very well do that.
Jimmy Garoppolo destination no. 4: Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos fans are not going to like to hear this, but this is a team that makes a lot of sense for Jimmy Garoppolo.
The Broncos need an upgrade over Teddy Bridgewater, and Garoppolo would represent one, even though people love to crack jokes about both of those guys.
Garoppolo has proven in a division with a brutal lineup of opposing quarterbacks, he can lead a team to big wins and divisional success. The Denver Broncos undoubtedly need that with Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes, and Derek Carr on the docket.
Although Garoppolo wouldn’t satisfy every Denver Broncos fan, he would certainly be able to better distribute the ball to their plethora of playmakers, and the Broncos have much of the same pieces in place for Garoppolo to have success like he’s had with the 49ers.
The Broncos hired Nathaniel Hackett as their new head coach this offseason, and Hackett spent the past few years working for Matt LaFleur in Green Bay. The offensive system is going to be familiar to Garoppolo, and adding him wouldn’t prevent the Broncos from potentially pursuing QBs near the top of the 2022 NFL Draft.
General manager George Paton and even John Elway before him seemingly had a great relationship with John Lynch and the 49ers front office. The Broncos and 49ers have come together on quite a few trades in recent years.
If the Broncos miss out on Aaron Rodgers, don’t be surprised in the least if they turn to Jimmy Garoppolo as a fallback option.
Jimmy Garoppolo destination no. 5: Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders hired Josh McDaniels as their new head coach.
Need I say more?
Although McDaniels may have changed his ways, most of the Bill Belichick disciples like to do things their own way.
McDaniels may not have anything against Derek Carr, but there were already rumors that Carr and the Raiders could be headed toward separation before a guy who is notorious for trading a big-name QB got to town.
Garoppolo could help McDaniels and even new Raiders GM Dave Ziegler transition to a new franchise seamlessly. Again, not that Carr couldn’t, but the Raiders might be able to get something really good for Carr in a trade, add Garoppolo at a discount, and really build the roster the way they want to.
Unlike with Jay Cutler and McDaniels in Denver, moving on from Carr in favor of Garoppolo could be a mutual decision between the two parties.
McDaniels is certainly going to do things his own way. He and the Patriots hung onto Garoppolo for a really long time so it’s clear they have great respect for him. And Garoppolo again has proven he can keep teams competitive in a division where he’s perceived to be the worst QB.
Jimmy Garoppolo destination no. 6: Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders have a new name, new uniforms, a new look, and now they just need a new…commander?
They need a new quarterback.
The Commanders are in a position this year where they could look at the 2022 NFL Draft for their long-term quarterback solution, but I think this is an intriguing team for any potential veteran quarterback.
For a player like Garoppolo, moving cross country to play for the Commanders could be a great move.
The Commanders have a legit WR1 and one of the best playmakers in the NFL in Terry McLaurin. They have a unique playmaker at running back in Antonio Gibson who can be a valuable weapon in the passing game. They have a stud tight end in Logan Thomas who is coming off of a tough season injury-wise.
They seemingly hit on a couple of recent offensive line pickups in Charles Leno Jr. and Samuel Cosmi.
This is a team that is on the rise offensively and defensively, they have the pieces in place to be dominant.
Garoppolo could step in and be a catalyst for some sustained success in a relatively wide-open NFC East.
Jimmy Garoppolo destination no. 7: New York Giants
The New York Giants have hired a couple of Buffalo Bills employees — general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll — to lead the charge after some really frustrating seasons under Joe Judge, Pat Shurmur, Ben McAdoo, and others.
Schoen and Daboll have had a ton of success with the Bills in recent years, and as fate would have it, Daboll’s path crossed with Jimmy Garoppolo when they were with the New England Patriots for a handful of seasons near the beginning of Garoppolo’s career.
When you’re looking at player movement in the NFL, those kinds of connections can really matter.
The Giants have been preaching the fact that the team has failed Daniel Jones, and while it’s noble of them to fall on that sword, it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that Jones is going to be the guy moving forward.
Perhaps he will get a shot in 2022 to prove he can be better with a better coaching staff, but the Giants are ready to get back to winning games, and Garoppolo is a quarterback that, at least for the time being, can help them do that.
Again, this is a team with plenty of playmakers in place. They just brought in Mike Kafka to be the offensive coordinator, but obviously, Daboll is going to have a prominent role there as well.
Whatever the situation looks like in terms of calling plays, I think Garoppolo is the type of veteran QB this team could look at while also upgrading the offensive line in a big way with their two first-round picks.