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Oh how things have re-intensified for Jimmy Garoppolo and his trade market.
Before the San Francisco 49ers took the field against the Green Bay Packers on Friday, August 12, Garoppolo was re-linked as a possibility to the Cleveland Browns via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer on Thursday — the reason being Deshaun Watson facing the possibility of being suspended for more than his original six-game punishment.
But then, 2,908 miles east of Santa Clara, a new possibility emerged…which got numerous NFL analysts believing that Garoppolo is the man who can take over for a $35 million quarterback who had to leave his game in excruciating fashion.
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Zach Wilson, the New York Jets’ $35 million franchise quarterback and the man taken ahead of Trey Lance in the 2021 NFL Draft, is facing the possibility of missing out the entire 2022 season.
The current fear in “Gang Green” land is that Wilson has a torn ACL in his right knee. Jets head coach and former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, however, gave “no update” on Wilson’s knee in his postgame press conference after the game versus the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Jets now have to turn to veteran Joe Flacco for the time being. But again, depth at signal-caller is suddenly a hot trendy topic in New York and across NFL social media. And that’s where Jimmy G’s name surfaced.
What Analysts Have Said About Jimmy G Heading to This New QB Needy Team
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated started the chain of analysts who believe Garoppolo and the Jets can be a fit. His reason? Garoppolo’s ties to not only Saleh, but who calls the plays for the Jets.
“If Zach Wilson’s knee injury is significant, it’s worth noting that Jimmy Garoppolo’s position coach in San Francisco from 2017-20, Mike LaFleur, happens to be the Jets offensive coordinator. And of course Robert Saleh was with the Niners then too,” Breer tweeted.
But Breer wasn’t alone on the analyst side.
David Lombardi of The Athletic called Jimmy G and the Jets “a situation to monitor.”
“Zach Wilson hurt. Jets have poured a lot of capital into this season. Injury TBD (too be determined), but it’s a situation to monitor regarding Jimmy Garoppolo — Saleh’s ex-49ers staff is running the show there,” Lombardi tweeted.
Maurice Moton, NFL columnist for Bleacher Report, joined the list of believers in Garoppolo turning to green.
On the radio side, Jason Smith of Fox Sports Radio and Sirius XM offered up this suggestion to the Jets.
“Even if Zach Wilson is out, say, 8 weeks, Jets should go get Jimmy Garoppolo. You sell hope and belief in the team and you figure the rest out later,” Smith posted.
Not the First Time Garoppolo & Jets Were Linked
Garoppolo’s name has been mentioned as a possibility to the Jets before. A month and five days ago to be exact.
Moton of B/R proposed on July 8 that the Jets and Garoppolo can be a pairing, saying then how Jimmy G should come in if Wilson were to struggle through October.
But as 49er fans know, Garoppolo’s pricey value of $24,200,000 in base salary and the $137.5 million deal he signed in 2017 has helped make teams hesitant to take on the remainder of that deal. Yet, Heavy on Jets reporter Paul “Boy Green” Esden said on the morning of Saturday, August 13 that “this is exactly the kind of situation the 49ers were hoping for.”
Esden: “The Jets would only be interested in this trade if Wilson got hurt and he did. Now in theory a desperate Gang Green team could get involved and make a deal happen. It would likely cost the Jets somewhere between a third and fifth-rounder to acquire the veteran quarterback. There is a need there, the two organizations have a lot of ties, and this could be the perfect band-aid for both sides.”
Just when it looked like there would be no more trade suitors for Garoppolo, trade talks have reignited for both the veteran quarterback and the 49ers. And it now involves an emergency on the East Coast.
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