Jimmy Garoppolo has all of the winning credentials — at least on paper. He’s helped lead the 49ers to two NFC Championships in three years and nearly ousted the high-powered Chiefs in the Super Bowl. His career record as a starter is 33-14.
Yet, there were apparently no takers for him this offseason. The lack of interest led the 49ers to restructure Garoppolo’s contract Tuesday, despite already naming 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance their starting quarterback.
1st impressions of the Patriots' 53-man roster
It’s another strange chapter in Garoppolo’s increasingly odd five-year run with the Niners, in which he’s been simultaneously heralded as a franchise QB and weak link. His proponents point to his impressive on-field record, while his detractors point to a myriad of bad performances in big games. Garoppolo threw just two touchdowns in three playoff contests last season.
As it turns out, his curious exit from the Patriots was a harbinger of events to come.
The Patriots’ decision to trade Garoppolo to San Francisco in October 2017 was a stunner. At the time, it seemed like Bill Belichick was toying with the idea of Garoppolo replacing Tom Brady, given that he didn’t deal the then-promising youngster over the previous offseason.
Even more strangely, the Patriots only received a second-round pick for Garoppolo’s services. The surprisingly low return seemed to indicate the trade was hastily put together — perhaps at the direction of Robert Kraft, as ESPN’s Seth Wickersham reported — or maybe it was a sign that Belichick was valuing Garoppolo’s wellbeing ahead of the team’s. Kyle Shanahan’s system was viewed as an excellent fit for Garoppolo.
The following year, it was reported that Belichick texted Garoppolo after each of his starts, another apparent sign that The Hoodie couldn’t quit Jimmy G.
We’ve since learned that Garoppolo’s teammates didn’t feel the same way. Last fall, ex-Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett called Garoppolo a “b—“ on the McCourty brothers’ podcast, a harsh critique that Julian Edelman endorsed earlier this year. The beloved wideout said there was anger towards Garoppolo in the locker room for sitting out the Patriots’ 2016 Week 4 matchup against the Bills due to a left shoulder injury. Garoppolo, who was subbing for Brady during his Deflategate suspension, backed out shortly before game time — forcing an injury Jacoby Brissett to start.
“A lot of guys got mad about it. A lot of guys got mad. I'm not gonna lie -- I got mad about it," said Edelman.
Brady’s continued excellence may have ultimately forced Garoppolo out of New England, but his teammates’ apparent lack of respect for him could have played a role, too.
It’s unknown how those around the 49ers feel about Garoppolo, besides the fact their opinion seems to change with regularity. When they traded three first-round picks to move up and select Lance, it was believed that Garoppolo’s end in San Francisco was imminent. Once again, injuries were an issue. He was placed on Injured Reserve to conclude the 2020 campaign, and missed all but three games in 2018 after tearing his ACL.
But Garoppolo outplayed Lance last summer and won the starting job, which he didn’t relinquish. Garoppolo rallied the Niners from 3-5 all the way to the NFC Championship.
Still, they went with Lance this offseason. With one year left on his deal, Garoppolo seemed like a prime trade candidate. But the wild offseason QB carousel ended with him in SF. The Niners sealed his temporary fate with Tuesday’s restructuring, which cleared roughly $12.9 million in cap space.
All the while, Garoppolo practiced away from the team all camp, a setup that general manager John Lynch said was “in his best interest.”
Garoppolo hasn’t spoken publicly about his situation since January, when he delivered an apparent goodbye address.
The whole thing is strange. The 49ers seemingly don’t trust Garoppolo as their franchise QB — Shanahan also reportedly wanted to sign Brady and draft Mac Jones — but didn’t trade him due to a reported dearth of interest.
Why wouldn’t there be interest in a starting QB who’s won 70 percent of his careers? Did the Panthers really think Baker Mayfield was a better option?
Weirdness seems to follow Garoppolo around. But maybe that’s not a coincidence. He’s the common denominator, after all.