Getty SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 19: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass against the Green Bay Packers during the NFC Championship game at Levi's Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The San Francisco 49ers are heading back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2013 season, and they’ll be looking for their first victory in the big game since 1995. Standing in their way is a Kansas City Chiefs team led by sage veteran coach Andy Reid. Kansas City is favored just slightly, opening as 1.5 favorites.
Immediately after the 49ers defeated the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship, NFL analysts began dissecting the upcoming Super Bowl and the strengths — and weaknesses — of each team.
On Skip & Shannon Undisputed, former Baltimore Ravens tight end Shannon Sharpe and NFL analyst Skip Bayless discussed the 49ers – Chiefs matchup, and Bayless had an outlandish suggestion. Calling quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo the “x-factor” and “Achilles’ Heel” for the 49ers, Bayless made one of his more audacious statements in awhile — and that’s saying something.
“If Jimmy G becomes the reason … they lose the Super Bowl,” Bayless said, “I would not be shocked if John Lynch, the 49ers GM, if he doesn’t in the offseason make a play for Tom Brady.” Bayless then noted that it “has been written several times they can get right out from under Jimmy G. without any huge salary cap hit.” Bayless began the segment by noting that if Brady were under center for the Niners heading into the big game, San Francisco would be the favorites to win.
“If Tom Brady were the quarterback of the 49ers going to this Super Bowl, they would be a 5-point favorite instead of a a 1.5-point underdog. You know it and I know it.” — @RealSkipBayless
While there seems to be very little chance at present the 49ers will do this, if Garoppolo becomes the reason the team loses the Super Bowl, Lynch and Shanahan could definitely bring in some competition. And while Garoppolo is under contract with the 49ers through the 2022 season, Bayless did have a point about his contract.
Jimmy Garoppolo’s Contract: Could 49ers Trade or Release Him in 2020?
Garoppolo’s contract with the 49ers is set up in such a way that the team can absolutely trade him if they so choose. Garoppolo had a base salary of $17.2 in 2019, with $2.8 million in bonuses and a dead cap hit of $13.7 million. He has also already gotten the bulk of his guaranteed money, so his contract won’t cost the 49ers big-time moving forward.
Next season and beyond, Garoppolo’s contract becomes more and more advantageous for San Francisco. In 2020, the QB is slated to make $23.8 million, but his dead cap hit for the team, should disaster strike, is just $4.2 million. Here’s a look at his contract breakdown courtesy of Over the Cap:
Garoppolo’s 2021 and 2022 base salaries are both just over $24 million a year, but the Niners’ dead cap hits will be even smaller after that: $2.8 and $1.4 million in 2021 and 2022, respectively. This gives the team an out every season moving forward, should either injury or decline in play — or a major Super Bowl tank job — occur. There are also the rumors surrounding Brady leaving New England to consider– and those rumors are gaining a ton of steam after the Pats’ early exit from the playoffs.
Tom Brady Reportedly ‘Embarrassed’ By Offers From Patriots
Gary Tanguay of NBC Sports recently said on Arbella Early Edition that Brady was “embarrassed” by the money he makes when compared to other quarterbacks. Brady was 14th among quarterbacks in annual salary, making $23 million in 2019. For a little perspective, both of Brady’s former backups, Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett, made more than he did this season. So did Carson Wentz, Derek Carr and Jared Goff.
With some analysts saying that Brady is almost certain to leave the Patriots and try his luck elsewhere, others, like former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason, think Brady will either stay put … or go play for a coastal team in California. Garoppolo seems too firmly planted in San Francisco for this to happen, but his performance in Super Bowl LIV could go a long way in determining his ultimate worth to the 49ers.
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