Getty Dan Campbell calling a play with the Lions in 2021 against Atlanta.
The Detroit Lions have a quarterback they look prepared to trust on the roster in Jared Goff, but that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from continuing to churn.
After Jimmy Garoppolo has been given permission to seek a trade, folks are beginning to wonder what teams might surface as a possible suitor for the San Francisco 49ers signal caller. Naturally, the Lions are already being called a team that should be placing a call out west.
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Jason McIntyre of Fox Sports recently discussed this on an episode of his podcast, “Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre.” He brought the Lions up as a team that could need a quarterback based on what played out last season as well as what the Lions have not done this offseason.
“That’s as weak a quarterback room in the league as you will find,” McIntyre said. “Lions stood pat, did not take a quarterback. Look at the roster, they’ve got 20 wide receivers and they got Jared Goff leading the way.”
As McIntyre explained, Garoppolo could help elevate the Lions to a team that plays much better given the weaponry that would be around him in the Motor City.
“Does Jimmy Garoppolo take us from 3-13-1 to eight or nine wins and oh by the way, the Philadelphia Eagles got in the playoffs with nine wins (in 2021),” McIntyre explained.
“You say, ‘Hey, Jimmy G gets in there, why couldn’t he make something happen?’ D’Andre Swift in the backfield, Amon-Ra St Brown. DJ Chark they picked up, maybe Jameson Williams is there, healthy by Halloween. Josh Reynolds showed well. T.J. Hockenson’s a good tight end. The offensive line’s very good. Man, Jimmy G could make it happen.
“If I’m the Lions, do I want to experiment with that? The GM has some safety, the coach has some safety. Both are on five-year deals. If you are looking at an NFC team where Garoppolo could land, that makes a lot of sense.”
As much sense as this could make, the Lions might be happier with Goff when all is said and done. He played well down the stretch for the team last year, and as a result, the Lions have looked poised to give him a chance in 2022. That doesn’t seem to be changing at all, no matter who else may be on the market.
Garoppolo’s Career Stats & Highlights
When he first came into the league in 2014 as a second-round pick out of Northern Illinois, Garoppolo had to wait to see time. He was Tom Brady’s backup with the New England Patriots, and as a result, didn’t see much action at all. With the Patriots, Garoppolo claimed rings in Super Bowl 49 as well as Super Bowl 51.
A trade sent Garoppolo west to San Francisco in 2017, and he has enjoyed success as a starter there since. Garoppolo has put up 11,852 passing yards in the NFL to go with 71 passing touchdowns and 5 rushing touchdowns. He has a 4-2 playoff record in his career including a pair of defeats of Green Bay, and played in Super Bowl 54 with San Francisco.
In 2022, he narrowly lost the NFC Championship. In 2021, he started the season with a big win over Detroit:
Garoppolo has been the starter, but could be riding second fiddle to Trey Lance. If the 49ers move him, Lance could indeed ascend to the starting role.
Analyzing Garoppolo’s Potential Fit With Lions
Every time a quarterback hits the market this offseason, the Lions have been included by analysts as a potential suitor. It happened with nearly every prospect in the NFL draft, and then also played out with Baker Mayfield, who was recently traded to the Carolina Panthers. With Garoppolo on the market, it only stands to reason that folks would want to connect the dots between him and Detroit.
The Lions have a perceived need at quarterback, with folks not sold on Goff. In spite of that, it seems the Lions are set on going into the season with Goff and building around him. General manager Brad Holmes has talked about his desire to build up Goff, and the team is even tailoring their offense to Goff. That doesn’t paint the picture of a team that looks ready to move on from their quarterback.
While Garoppolo could offer the Lions a bit of an edge, he could be a lateral move given the presence of Goff on the roster. Three years younger, Goff could have a bit more upside to offer the Lions at this point in time. As a result, this move might not make sense for Detroit whatsoever.
As usual, that will hardly stop folks from speculating about the potential for a move to happen.