The San Francisco 49ers publicly have given quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo permission to go and find a trade. This marks the beginning of the Trey Lance era in San Francisco. With training camps around the league beginning, it could be a tough time to pull off a Jimmy Garoppolo trade.
Most teams should be feeling happy about where their roster sits, heading into training camp. Of course, training camp injuries could raise the demand for Garoppolo’s services. However, as things currently stand, there are very few teams who would make him a starter, and it may not be worth it to pay a backup big money. The only team that has been publicly interesting in a Jimmy Garoppolo trade is the Seattle Seahawks, and the 49ers will likely not trade him within the division, so they will not be on our list.
Jimmy Garoppolo Contract Information and Salary
As the tweet above states, Garoppolo is in the final year of his contract, so a team interested in a Jimmy Garoppolo trade understands it could be a one-year rental situation. The Jimmy Garoppolo contract states that he is due a $24.2 million base salary, with $800,000 in performance bonuses.
Of course, the 49ers could pick up some of his salary as a part of the trade negotiations. For this reason, teams don’t need to have $25M in cap space to enter trade negotiations. However, the Cleveland Browns are the only team with over $25M in caps space with their projected top 51 players.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at three possible Jimmy Garoppolo trade destinations.
3 Possible Jimmy Garoppolo Trade Destinations
Cleveland Browns
The Browns have said they are not interested in a Jimmy Garoppolo trade. Yet, they are interested in working out other quarterbacks, such as Josh Rosen. Obviously, a decision regarding the Deshaun Watson punishment is coming soon, which will bring more clarity to the Browns’ quarterback situation. However, it does seem certain that he will be suspended for at least a month, and it makes sense to have a quarterback under center who has thrived in a run-first, play-action-heavy system.
Cleveland wouldn’t need the 49ers to eat some of the Jimmy Garoppolo contract, though they would likely demand it. For them, it’s worth trading for a quarterback who can keep the ship afloat while Watson is sidelined. Why risk digging yourself a hole early on when it may only take a fourth-round draft pick to ensure competency in the backfield?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
A Jimmy Garoppolo trade to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would not be a decision made for this year, despite the quarterback having only one year left on his current deal. Obviously, Tom Brady has returned, and there is no reason to have a Plan B when he is the Plan A.
However, we have seen Brady’s future media contract, so how much longer does he have in the NFL? Tampa has seen what they have in Kyle Trask. They must begin to think about who will take over the team after Brady leaves, and Garoppolo would be a fantastic option for them.
Tampa has a projected $12.5M in cap space after signing their top 51, per Spotrac. If they feel it would be easier to have Garoppolo under contract in 2023 if they get him in-house for 2022, then it could be a trade worth exploring.
Detroit Lions
Dan Campbell is too loyal to advocate for this trade, but the Detroit Lions have built a sneaky-talented team. However, they have a quarterback who threw the ball away on fourth down two different times last season. A Jimmy Garoppolo trade would give the Lions a quarterback that is capable of making reads at the line of scrimmage and getting the ball to the open receivers.
No, the Lions aren’t looking to win a Super Bowl this season, but don’t tell Dan Campbell that. They are a team that is capable of going over .500 with Garoppolo, and it’s possible they extend the 30-year-old passer and try to build a contender around him, with Jared Goff having an out in his contract after this season.
Honorable Mention: Philadelphia Eagles
Is Jalen Hurts the guy? Nobody knows, including the Philadelphia Eagles. Trading for Garoppolo could hurt the confidence and development of Hurts, which would obviously be an issue. However, the alternative is that they have a competent backup quarterback to go to in the case of a Hurts injury or if he is not getting the job done.
It would be a tough decision, but it’s an interesting one.
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