Could Jimmy Garoppolo end up being the heir to Tom Brady anyway? One Tampa Bay sports reporter, Joey Knight of the Tampa Bay Times, believes the San Francisco 49ers quarterback starting for the Buccaneers in 2022 isn't far-fetched.
"While perhaps not a sexy pick to replace Brady, he's a serviceable and mostly successful one," wrote Knight.
It seems inconceivable that the Buccaneers, after tasting success over the past two seasons, would pass on acquiring a veteran quarterback following Brady's retirement. Could Garoppolo be an option, though?
While the 49ers quarterback is 33-14 as a starter, many will point out the narrative that a talented roster carried Garoppolo rather than the reverse. However, it's hard to completely ignore the success he's had, reaching the NFC Championship Game twice, as well as the Super Bowl, over the past three seasons.
"Skeptics also will note he was complemented—and perhaps propped up—by a ground game that ranked seventh in the NFL in rushing yards per contest (127.4) in the regular season," Knight noted. "San Francisco ran 48 percent of the time in those 17 games, the league's fourth-highest rate."
For those wondering why an NFL team would pay Garoppolo over $25 million in 2022, Knight notes that the veteran quarterback's contract could simply be restructured, with much of that salary being converted to a signing bonus and spread out over multiple years. So Garoppolo's salary isn't as big a hurdle as some make it out to be.
What could the 49ers gain from trading Garoppolo to the quarterback-needy Buccaneers? How about the rights to retired future Hall of Famer Tom Brady? Yes, it's easy to say anyone even suggesting such a scenario is living in a fantasy world. Count Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk among that group. His recent comments on Pro Football Talk Live have created significant social-media chatter.
"I think [Brady]'s gonna be with the 49ers Week 1. I'm rooting for that so badly," Florio said, sourcing an email he received from an unnamed source, suggesting that Brady secretly desires to finish out his career with San Francisco.
What of last year's No. 3 overall pick, Trey Lance? The 21-year-old quarterback expects to start in 2022 after serving as Garoppolo's backup and understudy this past season. Recent reports state that the 49ers are high on the soon-to-be-second-year player.
"I've heard great stuff about him, honestly," Jay Glazer of NFL on FOX recently said. "I've heard they love him. They're enamored with him. He does some things in practice that make you go, 'Oh my goodness.'"
After passing on Brady in 2020, and then watching the all-time great win the Buccaneers a Super Bowl, the Niners might not be willing to pass on him a second time. This time, they have a successor in place.
Lance would also get to learn from Brady for a year before taking the reins in 2023.
Or San Francisco could just stick with the succession plan, moving forward with Lance. This offseason certainly won't be boring. Expect significant speculation until the quarterback situation has played out.
