What just happened with Jimmy G?
It's good news ... but is it great news? I don't think so.
Since the end of last season, the biggest question with the 49ers is where Jimmy Garoppolo will end up. It was a foregone conclusion that he would leave the team as they transition to Trey Lance as their QB of the future.
And then, just as the trading window opened up in March, Garoppolo had shoulder surgery, with a four-month recovery timeline. This understandably made him far less attractive to potential teams, almost all of who found other solutions behind center.
We now learn that this was done purposefully by TheHandsomeQB. This follows the news that the 49ers have restructured his contract, allowing him to stay as Lance’s backup and become a free agent at the end of the season.
"The new deal still allows him to hit the free agency market in 2023, which has been Garoppolo’s focus all along," Howe and Barrows said. "It’s the reason he had his shoulder repaired in March, which essentially scuttled any chance the team had of trading the quarterback."
Now, Jimmy would have been a FA in 2023 regardless so this doesn’t completely hold water, but one could make the argument - and apparently, his agents did - that playing a season for the Seahawks, Texans or Panthers and their very weak supporting casts would HURT his 2023 value. I can’t argue with that.
For the 49ers, the team is now in a good situation with a bright young hopeful star at QB and a veteran QB who has taken the team to the Super Bowl and the NFC Championship game in the two full seasons he’s been healthy as a 49er. But Matt Barrows summed up the situation here with two tweets:
As Peloton instructors often say, we can only go forward not backwards, but … let’s look back anyway. Because yes, looking at the upcoming season the team is well positioned to make a deep dive into the playoffs even WITH the now completely expected drama around Lance. (The first incompletion in Week 1 will begin the avalanche of “Start JimmyG” from certain corners of the 49ers fan and media base.) But how did we get to a spot where having Jimmy on the bench makes sense?
The team signed Nate Sudfeld as a backup QB early in free agency, with a guaranteed $2MM salary. In NFL terms overall, that’s not much, but for a backup QB it’s quite a bit. For reference, Jimmy’s guaranteed $6.5MM is the most any backup in the league earns. There’s a salary cap and teams - perhaps unwisely - take a ‘ride or die’ approach with their starting QB and don’t pay guys they hope will never take meaningful snaps.
It’s also fair to recognize that Lance, while taking noticeable steps in both practice and - at least - Game 1 of the preseason - isn’t necessarily a plug-and-play option. He’s an incredibly raw prospect who has started two games in the NFL and he will have ups and downs this season.
I think it’s safe to say if the team was thrilled with both Lance and Sudfeld, keeping Jimmy would have been lower on their priority list. In training camp, there was a lot of buzz about Brock Purdy, who was literally the last drafted player (“Mr. Irrelevant”) and seemed to be pushing Sudfeld for the backup spot. And whether that was based on talent, in retrospect it seems hard to believe the team - which deservedly believes it has a real shot at a Super Bowl this year - would go into the season with an untested QB in Lance, backed up by a similarly raw rookie.
Instead, Jimmy is there - as the backup for sure. (Until, of course, something happens.) This seems to be a good move for the team in terms of depth at the most critical position in sports, and a good move for Jimmy for the future. Cutting him - the only other option at this point - would have let any team try to re-sign him. He could have sat out the season (not a good look, and one that comes without any real salary) or signed with, say, the Seahawks. Even putting aside the fact that they are one of the 49ers biggest rivals, the team looks truly awful and there’s a real chance Jimmy ends up with a losing record and looks bad in the process.
He did get a no-trade clause in this restructuring, but apparently is open to trades to the right team if that happens.
And I think that’s also part of the calculus by the 49ers as well - essentially, they are buying a compensatory draft pick by this signing - if Jimmy stays with the team through the season and signs elsewhere next season, this will be a 3rd or 4th round draft pick. That sets the bar so if another team needs to make a trade for a QB this season due to injury, they can ask for at least that much. (Compensatory picks aren’t guaranteed, and they get netted out if the team signs a similar level FA on their own.)
So…who might be interested in Jimmy this year? (Remember, the trade deadline is November 1.)
CAROLINA PANTHERS: I think this is pretty unlikely, but if Baker Mayfield gets hurt, and Sam Darnold is either still hurt or clearly not the answer, coach Matt Rhule could get desperate. He’s on the shortest leash in the league, and his rookie draft pick is out all year with a Lisfranc injury. Would Jimmy waive his no-trade clause for the Panthers? Unclear.
DALLAS COWBOYS: It seems crazy, but if Dakota Rayne Prescott gets hurt again, the team will scramble - Cooper Rush won’t save their season. And I do think Jimmy would accept a trade here, as it would give him a huge platform to showcase his skillset.
HOUSTON TEXANS: Staying in Texas, this team always comes up - they have second year Davis Mills at QB and the team management is all from New England, and they’re folks who drafted Jimmy in the first place. Still, I don’t see it - they’re not in a win-now mode, and I’m not sure Jimmy wants to be there.
KANSAS CITY: Another random team - but one that is another Super Bowl favorite. If the unthinkable happened and Patrick Mahomes got hurt, Jimmy could be a great answer (and clearly better than the backups in KC.) Yes, Andy Reid would have to retool his offense but nobody is better suited to that than he is. And Jimmy would almost surely leap at the chance to play for Reid and showcase his skills on a contender like Kansas City.
MIAMI: This team needs to be mentioned because coach Mike McDaniel comes from the 49ers and runs a similar offense. In fact, Tua Tagovailoa has been compared to a Jimmy G in his style and conservative play. Still, I don’t see it happening - McDaniel is in his first year, they also have solid backup Teddy Bridgewater already on the roster and I can’t imagine they think Jimmy and Teddy are all that different.
NEW ENGLAND: What about a return to home? If Mac Jones gets hurt or is truly awful in this mess of a new offense, would they make the call? Maybe. But I doubt it. Let’s move on.
NEW YORK GIANTS: Earlier this summer, a fake Adam Schefter account tweeted that Jimmy had been traded to the Giants, and folks bought it - because it does seem to make some sense. Daniel Jones is better than many say, but he’s not the long term answer. But they also have Tyrod Taylor on the team and I think he’s the interim answer if and when Jones stumbles.
NEW YORK JETS: Ahh….here we go. 2nd year QB Zach Wilson is already hurt and did NOT look the part last year (when he also got hurt). Joe Flacco is noticeably better than Wilson, which is bad news because Flacco isn’t good. I don’t think coach Robert Saleh is on the hot seat, but it’s a discussion point. Could they trade for Jimmy with the idea of showcasing him and helping the team make a move forward? I can totally see it.
TAMPA BAY: With all the drama about Tom Brady, it’s important to remember that the team still is only backing him up with Blaine Gabbert. The team openly is dismissive of Kyle Trask, so they really don’t have a solution. This team is still competitive and if Brady gets hurt or decides to quit midseason and do…whatever…I could easily see Jimmy putting on the Pewter (and maybe the Creamsicle!).
From a pure drama perspective, I would have really liked it if Jimmy had found a new home and the team received any compensation for it. Failing that, this seems to be a good situation for both the team and Garoppolo.