Wednesday has seen a noteworthy, though entirely unsurprising, development in the case of the league’s final starting quarterback in need of a new home. The 49ers have officially given Jimmy Garoppolo permission to seek a trade, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). 
It has been known since last April that San Francisco would hand the No. 1 role to first-rounder Trey Lance no later than his second season in the NFL. A deal sending Garoppolo elsewhere has thus been seen as inevitable throughout a 2022 offseason filled with several major moves at the position. His health has been chief among the reasons a market hasn’t developed, though.
On that point, Schefter adds that Garoppolo has been cleared to return to practice. That news comes one day after the 30-year-old received an encouraging update on his surgically-repaired throwing shoulder. The 49ers will still “exercise caution” for the foreseeable future, though, and Garoppolo wasn’t expected (as recently as yesterday) to be back on the field until next month.
CBS’ Jonathan Jones tweets that there are teams who have “poked around” regarding the former second-rounder’s availability. Not surprisingly, though, none have seriously considered making a move until they know he has recovered in full. With nearly all of the QB moves having long been made, the list of potential suitors is rather short this late in the offseason. The division rival Seahawks have long been connected to at least entertaining the possibility of adding him, but signing him as a free agent after being released would be far more financially feasible.
Garoppolo has one year remaining on his contract, with a non-guaranteed salary of just over $24MM. Seattle wouldn’t be able to absorb his deal without re-working it, something which isn’t true of the Browns. Potentially in need of a veteran for at least part of the 2022 season, Cleveland has ample cap space to bring in Garoppolo, though their interest has been considered tepid at best to date.
Ultimately, today’s news moves the QB one step closer to the inevitable outcome of joining a new team for the second time in his career. How his market develops in the coming weeks will be worth monitoring as the season approaches.
There’s always engineering terrible sandwiches at Subway.
Nona approves
If Nonna was still alive when that commercial came out, she died of shame shortly thereafter.
Steph Curry already works there
Hey, Curry has Holey Moley to fall back on.
Idk y the giants are never mentioned in the qb carousel but seems like he would be an upgrade there.
The Giants aren’t in cap shape to take him on and they’re not a Danny-to-Jimmy upgrade away from being a win-now team. I think this year is about taking a look at Jones while bad money washes out and then seeing how things look next offseason.
I think Jimmy will be sitting out a year like Alex Smith did unless he knocks that $24MM down to a number more agreeable to GMs.
49ers should just release him. They don’t owe him a penny, he can go where he wants. Not team is going to pick up much of that salary and give proper compensation knowing he will be released by first week of season.
Agree and he should get into TV. Those salaries are skyrocketing.
Exactly. SF can cut him, owe him nothing and he can sign or so what ever he wants. But there’s a date they have to do it by before it does become guaranteed. Can’t remember but it around training camp report.
They just won’t be able to gain any draft capital, which is why the game of chicken is going on. And why no one is into trading for him knowing this
The date you were trying to think of is the first game of the season.
Jimmy G to the browns while the predator is suspended sounds great in theory but I think we’re giving the browns a little too much credit here
Niners are … “by thine own hand” … kinda up against it.
No GM is going to give up draft capital and agree to a salary split (read: Browns/Baker/Panthers) … not at this point in the year.
Now none of SF’s options are better than the next:
Trade fellow NFC West Seattle a QB upgrade?
Release him then he takes less from Seattle?
Maybe something along the lines of Browns/Baker/Panthers is the only way to salvage anything at all … maybe?
EDIT:
they could also just not release him and eat his salary; but who knows how Deebo & Bosa’s agents react
Training camp facilities are just starting to wipe off the cobwebs. Jimmy G is an injury away from being snatched by a team with two or less prime time games:
2: CLE, WSH, MIA, SEA, MIN
1: NYJ, NYG, HOU, JAX, CAR, ATL
0: DET
Detroit plays its annual game on Thanksgving. This year against Bill’s. Considered prime time.
Ah yes, that one day every year we sit around and load up on great food and want to watch good football but are stuck watching the Lions.
Some years it gives great chance to take that nap also during game.
Watching the Lions get blown out 45-6 is a Thanksgiving tradition at this point.
Me personal best case scenario would be, SF trades him or releases him, they go with Lance and he is a total bust, they dont make the playoffs. The whole situation backfires on SF and explodes, they all end up looking dumb for moving off of Jimmy G. that would be great, but I know not likely.
Gotta hand it to SF. They had no intention of starting him this year? Hold onto him until camp and NOW give him permission to seek a trade? Most teams have made their moves so the market is as low as it gets minus a teams catastrophic injury? Would they have been better served to trade when the QB carousel was hot and heavy?