If you are a 49ers fan and have never been on a merry-go-round, welcome to your first ride on the carousel. Jimmy Garoppolo is still the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. Will he be at the start of the season? It appears that the stock for the 49ers quarterback is on the decline. At the end of the 2021 season, teams needed quarterbacks, and they made the necessary moves to get their guy. Jimmy Garropolo was at the top of the list pending Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers decision on his future. Rodgers signed a four-year contract extension with the Packers.
The next piece to move was Russell Wilson. Wilson was unhappy in Seattle and traded to the Denver Broncos for two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, Noah Fant (a former first-round selection), and Shelby Harris. Jimmy Garropolo was next to be moved, correct?
On March 1, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Garoppolo would have shoulder surgery to repair a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder. It was also reported that this injury wouldn't hurt his trade value. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like a team in a win-now mode that needed a quarterback believed in this theory.
The next quarterback traded was Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders. The Commanders were high on Garoppolo, but the announcement of his surgery rerouted their plans. The Colts traded Wentz for 2022 second-round pick swap (the Colts received pick 42 and the Commanders received pick 47), a 2022 third-round pick (pick 73), and a conditional 2023 third-round pick. Indianapolis is now looking like the most likely destination for Garroppolo.
Another team linked to Garoppolo was the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, the Steelers decided to go in a different direction and sign a free-agent quarterback. Mitch Trubisky, a former first-round pick (#2 overall) in the 2018 draft, signed with the Steelers on a two-year deal, replacing Ben Roethlisberger.
Former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson was the next quarterback to pause the Garoppolo carousel. Watson created a media frenzy almost as big as Lebron James taking his talents to South Beach. After the Colts, Panthers, and Browns were seemingly out of the Watson sweepstakes, it came down to the Saints and the Falcons. The Falcons were willing and ready to trade Matt Ryan, and the Saints cleared enough cap space to take on Watson's contract. Watson chose the Browns, and he is now the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. Watson is guaranteed to make $230 million over the next five years, according to Rapoport. The Texans received three first-round picks, a third and a fourth-round pick in 2022 for the quarterback.
What is now thought to be the final compensation in today's seismic trade:
🏈Browns get: Deshaun Watson and a 5th-round pick.
🏈Texans get: three first-round picks, a third-round pick and a fourth-round pick. https://t.co/nOtoRVIlGp
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 18, 2022
The ride isn't over yet. Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has requested a trade. He wants to play in Indianapolis, but it doesn't seem like the Browns would trade him in the AFC. This has my mind spiraling. According to Evan Massey, the Colts are making a hard push for Mayfield.
Per source, at this point in time, the #Colts have been most aggressive in trade talks for #Browns' Baker Mayfield. However, Cleveland doesn't love the idea of trading him within the AFC.
— Evan Massey (@massey_evan) March 19, 2022
Why aren't the Colts pushing hard to get Garoppolo? It has to be the shoulder surgery. The league knows about Garoppolo's limitations, but does any of that matter when Garoppolo can win games? Garoppolo is 37-16 as starting quarterback. Mayfield is 30-31, Wentz is 44-40-1, Trubisky is 30-23, and Jameis Winston is 33-45. Did I forget to mention that Jameis Winston is expected to be back with the Saints?
The next quarterback move will be Mayfield, which again puts the Garoppolo move on hold. There's a possibility that free-agent quarterback Marcus Mariota may land a job before Garoppolo. Where will Garoppolo play in 2022? Right now, it's the 49ers, and depending on Mayfield's move, my guess is it would be between the Colts and the Texans. Don't be surprised if Garoppolo is on this roster and traded on draft day. Stay tuned. The merry-go-round ride will soon come to an end.
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Written by:Wayne Breezie is a 49ers content creator. He had his first guest appearance on Ronbosports in 2012. He began writing for a Facebook group called the League of the 49ers. Next, he began writing for Nothing But Niners in 2017. In 2018, Wayne Breezie made his debut on YouTube’s Nothing But Niners show. In 2019, he started his podcast called Nitty Gritty Niners. After putting the pen down for several years, Breezie saw an opportunity to write for 49erscap.com. His first published article was in January of 2022 with 49ersCap, and he currently writes and produces weekly podcasts.
