With Baker Mayfield being traded to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a 2024 conditional fifth-round pick, the number of trade destinations for Jimmy Garoppolo continues to decrease, making it likelier that the veteran quarterback will be released by the San Francisco 49ers before the start of the 2022 NFL season.
As the 30-year-old quarterback is being cleared to throw soon, following his shoulder surgery in March, what is next for the 49ers and Jimmy Garoppolo?
The Carolina Panthers are no longer in the quarterback sweepstakes. Which teams remain?
Currently, as it stands, the Seattle Seahawks and the Cleveland Browns appear to be the two teams with unsettled quarterback situations. However, both situations come with a caveat.
The Seahawks are likely to bottom out as one of the worst teams in the NFL in 2022, following the departures of longtime quarterback Russell Wilson and linebacker Bobby Wagner via trade and release, respectively. They could look to use 2022 as a rebuilding year and draft a rookie quarterback in what is expected to be a strong class in the 2023 NFL Draft, completing the primary step in their transition towards contention.
Adding Jimmy Garoppolo to the mix would elevate the Seahawks to a below-average team, perhaps placing them out of the mix for a top quarterback, only further hindering their rebuild with an aging head coach.
The Cleveland Browns currently roster Jacoby Brissett as their quarterback with Deshaun Watson's situation looking uncertain, but are also on the hook for $10.5 million of Baker Mayfield's salary for 2022.
While the Browns could carry the entirety of Jimmy Garoppolo's $25.5 million cap hit for 2022, it's unlikely that they would trade for him at that price point, given that they could be the frontrunners to sign him once he's released with their strong offensive infrastructure.
Additionally, the draft capital would be minimal, at best, and the 49ers would have to eat salary in order to move Garoppolo, further signifying that a release is the likeliest outcome as of now.
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