The potential market for Jimmy Garoppolo continues to shrink.
On Monday, the Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly agreed to terms with a two-year contract with Mitch Trubisky with reported intentions of making him the starting quarterback in 2022. In the process, another potential landing spot for Garoppolo has been wiped off the list.
There’s been a flurry of quarterback moves this offseason, as expected, but the 49ers still have Garoppolo and his $26.9 million salary on the roster. The NFL’s new league calendar opens at 1 p.m. PT on Wednesday, when free agency starts and trades officially can occur.
Garoppolo underwent shoulder surgery last week and you have to wonder if NFL teams are scared off by his upcoming rehab. Jimmy G is expected to be able to throw by the end of June, in time for July training camps, but a quarterback with a bum shoulder and sizable contract might be viewed as too big a risk. Especially a mediocre quarterback like Garoppolo.
It seemed like Garoppolo would have been on the move after Aaron Rodgers elected to stay in Green Bay and Russell Wilson got traded to the Denver Broncos last week. Since then, Carson Wentz has been traded from the Indianapolis Colts to the Washington Commanders, Tom Brady announced his return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and now Trubisky has landed in Pittsburgh.
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The list for possible Garoppolo suitors potentially includes the Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints or Carolina Panthers. The Houston Texans could also emerge as a possibility if Deshaun Watson is traded this offseason, but Jimmy G is yet to find a home.
Wednesday’s approaching new league calendar seems like a natural deadline for the 49ers to move Garoppolo, as the move would save them $25.5 million toward their salary cap next season. With stars like Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa eligible for extensions this offseason, shedding Garoppolo’s salary seems like a prudent move.
If Garoppolo isn’t moved by the start of the NFL Draft by April 28, that’d be a major sign his market dried up and that he’s returning to San Francisco in 2022, but the clock is already ticking for the 49ers to trade him.
