As the NFL Combine nears, there's an expectation that Jimmy Garoppolo trade talks will begin to ramp up, especially with the number of teams actively looking to upgrade at the position this offseason.
Earlier this offseason, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the 49ers will look to move Garoppolo by the start of the league year on March 16th, with the veteran confirming in his postseason press conference that his camp and the 49ers' brass have been looking at trade possibilities.
With that said, let's look at realistic options where the San Francisco 49ers quarterback could play in 2022.
5. Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are actively seeking a new quarterback after riding under the mediocrity of Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater over the past few seasons.
While they've had a talented roster on both sides of the ball, building through a combination of valuable free agents and upper-echelon draft picks, the Broncos have struggled to compete in their highly-competitive division with a lack of consistent quarterback play.
Teddy Bridgewater threw for 3,052 yards, 18 touchdowns, and seven interceptions over the course of 14 games in 2021, going 7-7 as the starter.
The Broncos are knocking on the door of a playoff berth, hence the interest in making top-tier options like Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson their quarterback in 2022.
However, should both options fail to happen, Jimmy Garoppolo could be a fallback option, with Bridgewater becoming a free agent this offseason.
Still, Garoppolo doesn't provide an extreme amount of upside to Bridgewater and carries a heavy price tag, so the Broncos will likely be wary to acquire the veteran.
But, given their knack for average quarterbacks (Drew Lock, Teddy Bridgewater), they come in at fifth on the list.
4. New Orleans Saints
The Saints were another fringe-playoff team last season, with the 49ers ironically eliminating them from contention in Week 18 after defeating the Los Angeles Rams to earn their own playoff berth.
Quarterback Jameis Winston was their starter, going 5-2 prior to tearing his ACL, throwing for 1,170 yards, 14 touchdowns, and three interceptions, although he completed just 59% of his passes, indicating that the team's performance may be more because of the defense rather than his play.
That sentiment continued after Winston's injury, as the Saints ended the season 9-8, including a shutout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-0.
The Saints could look to acquire some more consistency at the quarterback position, which could place them in the playoffs for good next season, especially with the uncertainty in the division following the retirement of Tom Brady.
The barrier in New Orleans is cap space—the Saints are currently $42 million over the salary cap for 2022, which is worst in the NFL, per Spotrac.
Trading for Garoppolo would require some serious cap maneuvering, but the Saints have done so in the past, and could look to continue their winning ways under first-year head coach Dennis Allen.
3. Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers traded for Sam Darnold last offseason... and it didn't work. Giving up a second, fourth, and sixth-round pick in return for the former Jets quarterback, the Panthers were disappointed as Darnold threw for 2,527 yards, nine touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, while completing just 59.9% of his passes.
In addition, Darnold faced injury issues, prompting the team to bring back former quarterback Cam Newton, who didn't impress, going 0-5 in his five starts with the team.
The Panthers have a talented roster on both sides of the ball, with offensive weapons D.J. Moore, Christian McCaffrey, Robby Anderson, and Terrace Marshall complementing the quarterback. Defensively, they have a fairly young roster, with emerging stars like edge rusher Brian Burns leading the charge.
Jimmy Garoppolo would benefit from a Carolina-esque system that relies heavily on the running backs, similar to San Francisco. Additionally, similarly to the New Orleans Saints, the Panthers could look to make a playoff push with the uncertainty of the NFC South following Brady's retirement, with Garoppolo serving as the most available veteran leader.
Head coach Matt Rhule could also be on the hot seat after two disappointing seasons, prompting the Panthers to make win-now moves in search of a playoff berth, such as trading for the veteran quarterback who spent the last five seasons as a member of the San Francisco 49ers.
The Panthers currently have $15 million in cap space, so the financials shouldn't be too hard to work around regarding Garopppolo's contract.
The only red flag regarding Carolina is that they just flipped draft capital for a quarterback last offseason, which obviously failed. However, given that Garoppolo is essentially a known quantity at quarterback, as opposed to the uncertainty with Darnold last season, a trade would be more sensible in this case.
2. Washington Commanders
Similar to a number of teams on this list, the Washington Commanders are a strong team overall, but have been hindered by inconsistent play from the quarterback position.
The Commanders signed journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick last offseason to a one-year deal as their starter, but the veteran injured his hip in Week 1 and didn't return for the remainder of the season.
Taylor Heinecke, who showed glimpses during his playoff start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, was an inconsistent player for the majority of the season, throwing for 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.
Washington could certainly use some stability and leadership at the quarterback position, which Jimmy Garopppolo could provide if the two sides agree to a multi-year extension that makes his contract more feasible.
The Commanders have struggled to draft quarterbacks, most recently missing on Ohio State product Dwayne Haskins, and with the lack of upper-echelon quarterback prospects in this year's draft class, Washington could look to add a veteran option to push for a playoff spot in the NFC East.
Recently, it was reported by ESPN's John Keim that the team is looking at all options at QB, including a trade for either Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson, but both of those options seem unlikely to be available on the market and would be of high cost if they requested trades.
Garoppolo serves as an attainable, middling starter that could provide the Commanders a short-term solution at quarterback. Washington could even follow San Francisco's formula and draft a raw talent to serve as their backup to push their current, but also future, agendas.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have a new starting quarterback for the first time since 2004 when they selected Ben Roethlisberger with the 11th pick of the draft.
Currently, the only quarterback on the roster is Mason Rudolph, who the team has repeatedly praised this offseason amid the transition period.
However, Rudolph hasn't been a great option since he was drafted in 2018, throwing for 2,366 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in his career, completing just 61.5% of his passes on 6.2 yards per attempt.
The Steelers, armed with nearly $30 million in cap space prior to any major moves, have been active in looking for a veteran option, which makes Jimmy Garoppolo a viable solution for their quarterback hole.
Pittsburgh has a strong group of offensive weapons in Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, and Chase Claypool, which would help Garoppolo in his transition to a new team. Once again, the Steelers are a team that relies on their running backs, so Garoppolo would enter a quarterback-friendly system with the opportunity to compete for a playoff spot yet again.
The Steelers currently have the 20th pick in the draft and trading for a veteran like Garoppolo would open up the possibilities for adding a player like Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum, who would significantly strengthen the offensive line, rather than having to focus towards a future signal-caller immediately.
That doesn't mean that Pittsburgh won't select a quarterback: they could draft a player like Malik Willis to sit behind Garoppolo for a season and let him develop with offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
But, for a team in dire need of veteran leadership and a quarterback better than last year's version of Ben Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Steelers could use someone of Garoppolo's caliber, who shouldn't be nearly as costly as some of the high-end options that could potentially reach the market this offseason.