Things don't appear to be going the San Francisco 49ers' way after the Indianapolis Colts, long assumed to be the most likely suitors for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, traded for 36-year-old Matt Ryan.
With the list of potential trade partners shrinking, why did the Colts pass on Garoppolo? According to ESPN's Dianna Russini, it had nothing to do with concerns surrounding Garoppolo's performances as the 49ers' starter over the past four-and-a-half seasons. Instead, it had more to do with the shoulder surgery he underwent on March 8.
While Garoppolo is expected to be ready in time for training camp, he won't be able to throw until just before then. That was too much of a red flag for the Colts, who wanted their starter to participate in as much of the offseason as possible.
That eliminated Garoppolo.
So why didn't the Colts go after Jimmy G?
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) March 21, 2022
Form what I was told, there were concerns over the shoulder injury. Not so much the medical side of it but the idea of missing time in the offseason with a new team. This was a red flag.
Unless you count the Houston Texans, who could roll with Davis Mills in 2022, the remaining quarterback-needy teams are in the NFC. They are the New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, and now the Atlanta Falcons.
Update: The Saints are re-signing quarterback Jameis Winston to a two-year, $28 million deal, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Media.
Update 2: The Falcons are signing Marcus Mariota to a two-year deal.
On Monday morning, there was a report that one team had offered the 49ers two second-round picks for Garoppolo. If true, you have to imagine that would have initiated a trade by now. If it wasn't the Colts, a deal can still be had.
However, the 49ers might have been looking to use the offer as leverage with what might have been their preferred trade partner—Indianapolis. A trade to the Colts would have married Garoppolo to a team capable of winning now, and moved him outside the NFC.