Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
How desperate could Washington become in potential trade for 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo?
Feb 14, 2022 at 1:39 PM
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What happens if Aaron Rodgers and
Russell Wilson remain with their respective teams—the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks? A down year for draft-eligible quarterbacks could force quarterback-needy teams to overpay in the trade market.
That would bode well for the San Francisco 49ers, who are expected to part ways with veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, a quarterback with a career record of 33-14 as a starter. Could a team like the Washington Commanders become desperate enough for an upgrade to acquire the 49ers starter from the past four-and-a-half seasons?
The Commanders may seek a new face for the offense, and Garoppolo might be an excellent fit depending on what Washington does on offense next season.
"
One executive positively labeled Garoppolo a 'functional starter,'" Ben Standig recently wrote in a feature for The Athletic (h/t
Josh Schrock of NBC Sports), "a level he says doesn't apply for several players who started games in 2021, like Washington's Taylor Heinicke—and perhaps all of the 2022 QB draft prospects."
That same executive doesn't see Garoppolo being worth the No. 11 pick in the upcoming draft or any first-round pick, given the quarterback's skill set and injury history. Garoppolo started the 2016 season in place of a suspended
Tom Brady, suffering a sprained AC joint in Week 2. In 2018 with the 49ers, a torn ACL in Week 3 ended his season. In 2020, Garoppolo appeared in just six games due to a high-ankle sprain. He played through thumb and shoulder injuries in the 49ers' playoff run this past season.
Washington might become desperate, though.
"Yet [the executive] argued the Commanders could justify sending the [No. 11] pick to San Francisco should they concede none of the incoming passers are worthy of that selection," wrote Standig. "For a team that needs to win now, the veteran here trumps the unproven rookies."
Money is, of course, a concern for any interested team. Garoppolo is set to earn a base salary of $24.2 million in 2022 and only has one year remaining on his contract, so a restructuring would likely be one of the first tasks following a trade.
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