We still have three games left to close out the regular season, and we have no idea what the San Francisco 49ers will do in the postseason—assuming they make it. However, that isn't stopping ESPN from looking beyond the 2021 season and toward the 2022 offseason.
Specifically, Bill Barnwell is looking at the dominos that might fall should the Green Bay Packers trade Aaron Rodgers or the Seattle Seahawks trade Russell Wilson. That creates two scenarios for San Francisco, both involving some desperate teams who could seek out Jimmy Garoppolo.
The first is among the dominos that fall if the Packers ship Rodgers to the Denver Broncos. That leaves the Carolina Panthers looking to make up for the addition of Sam Darnold, which hasn't worked out as they hoped.
Of course, Barnwell notes that San Francisco doesn't have a ton of leverage due to the money owed to Garoppolo ($24.2 million base salary in 2022), the quarterback's inability to stay healthy, and the 49ers expected to move on to Trey Lance. But, of course, this only happens if the Panthers fail in landing someone else to take over under center.
What could San Francisco get in exchange for Garoppolo? Forget a first-round pick outright. That probably isn't happening no matter how the 49ers quarterback plays down the stretch. Barnwell does envision a nice alternative, though.
"We know that he has more upside than it might seem -- the 49ers did make it to a Super Bowl with him, after all -- and he wouldn't preclude them from going after a quarterback in the 2023 draft," wrote Barnwell. "This would be a third-round pick in 2023 that could rise as high as the first round if Garoppolo plays 16 games and Carolina makes the playoffs."
The second scenario is part of the dominos resulting from both Rodgers and Wilson staying put in Green Bay and Seattle. It has the New York Giants come calling for Garoppolo. Daniel Jones hasn't worked out as hoped, and this year's draft isn't a great one for quarterback-needy teams. So, once again, this leaves Garoppolo as a good Plan B.
This scenario has the Giants sending a third-round pick and Jones to San Francisco for the veteran quarterback. That provides Lance a backup with starting experience, who might even offer some competition for the starting job, pushing Lance in the offseason.
"As I mentioned in the first scenario, the 49ers can't expect to extract a premium pick for Garoppolo, but taking a flier on Jones gets the team a competent backup to push Trey Lance for the starting job," wrote Barnwell. "Jones might not end up as a premium starter, but his athleticism should make him a high-end backup. Garoppolo would be the short-term starter for the Giants, who could take a quarterback in 2023 if he underwhelms."