Getty The Seahawks could target 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo as their next QB.
As unlikely as it sounds, the Seattle Seahawks could replace Russell Wilson with another NFC West quarterback.
The Seahawks will enter their most eventful offseason in years. That would be because Seattle is coming off of their first losing season of the Pete Carroll/Russell Wilson era. And while both Carroll and Wilson have said all of the right things when it relates to each of their futures in Seattle, Wilson’s future is still a major question mark moving forward.
With this in mind, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin proposes that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is a “possible” option for the team. Although Garoppolo is still under contract with the 49ers, San Francisco will look for a trade partner as they look towards the Trey Lance era.
Why Jimmy G is Appealing to Seahawks
“Notice a pattern here? This one’s contingent on Seattle bidding farewell to Russell Wilson, who may or may not seek a trade. Pete Carroll isn’t gonna wanna totally reset if Wilson moves on, and he’s very familiar with Garoppolo, who’s best suited for his kind of offense: slow, steady and methodical, with a heavy dependence on the ground game,” says Benjamin.
Garoppolo conducted his end-of-season press conference with the media on Tuesday, February 1 and is aware that he could soon be on another NFL team in the near future.
“We’ve talked a little bit, I think more will happen in the days to come but yeah these guys have been very upfront about the whole thing,” Garoppolo said. “Was talking to John (Lynch) yesterday just about finding the right destination and whatever the future holds, just doing it the right way. Got a long career ahead of me so I’m excited about it, excited about the opportunities to come.
“I just want to go to a place where they want to win, that’s really what I’m in this game for. I’m here to play football, I’m here to win football games and as long as I got that and good people around me, I think the rest will take care of itself.”
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Wilson Could Still Be Traded
While Wilson hasn’t demanded a trade, it’s become clear that he’s open to playing for another team. According to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport back in January, Wilson is willing to “explore options.”
“Just like last year, the Seahawks’ season crashed to a disappointing halt,” says Rapoport. “Just like last year, the questions surrounding their star quarterback overshadow everything this offseason.
And just like last year, sources say Russell Wilson wants to explore his options to see what else might be out there for him.
Wilson has not demanded a trade, and it’s not clear if he will. But at the least, those close to Wilson say he wants to investigate other destinations to see if those would put him in a better position to win another championship and create the legacy he sees for himself.”
With Pete Carroll nearing 71 years old and under contract through the 2025 season, it’s hard to envision a scenario — even for one season — where Seattle enters a rebuilding mode.
In this scenario that they do move Wilson, they will look for a veteran quarterback as a stopgap option to fill his void. Considering Garoppolo has one year left at $25.5 million on his contract, the Seahawks could look his way.