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The Seattle Seahawks could make a move for a veteran quarterback if they “throw in the towel.”
According to Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus, the Seahawks could look to acquire San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo if they’re not satisfied with their current quarterback situation. As noted by Kyed, the only three starting spots for the veteran quarterback are the Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns.
“If Watson’s contract tolls in 2022, then it becomes easier to acquire Garoppolo, who would give the Browns a better chance of winning in 2022 than current backup Jacoby Brissett,” says Kyed. “Even if Watson’s suspension is increased but doesn’t hit the 17-game mark, adding Garoppolo still could make sense to keep Cleveland afloat. The Browns have a talented roster that could compete for a title.
Barring injury, there isn’t another obvious starting spot for Garoppolo unless the Pittsburgh Steelers or Seattle Seahawks wanted to throw in the towel on their starting QB competitions.”
Smith and Lock Currently Battling for Seahawks QB Job
The Seahawks’ current quarterback competition sees returnee Geno Smith competing with Drew Lock for the starting job. The 31-year-old Smith is considered the starter entering the first preseason game, but Lock will have the opportunity to win the job before the end of the preseason.
This isn’t the first time the Seahawks have been linked to Garropolo. It was previously reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that Seattle has done their “homework” on the veteran quarterback.
At the present moment, it appears the Seahawks are content with their quarterback situation. Head coach Pete Carroll was to quick to point out that the quarterback competition is far from over.
“It’s just gonna take some time,” Carroll said of deciding a starting quarterback. “We need the opportunities to present themselves as we go, and we try to create them all the time. … We’re accumulating a lot of information for us, and it’s working out well.”
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How Garoppolo Could Emerge as Option for Seahawks
Considering Garoppolo is a member of the NFC West divisional rival 49ers, it’s unlikely San Francisco would trade their former franchise quarterback to the Seahawks. However, if the 49ers can’t find a trade partner by the start of the regular season, they’ll likely release Garoppolo. His near $25 million salary becomes guaranteed if he’s on the 49ers’ roster in Week 1.
“At some point, the music stops,” says Mike Florio of NBC Sports. “The dance ends. The 49ers will cut Garoppolo in lieu of having his base salary become guaranteed, as a practical matter, if he’s on the Week One roster.”
In that scenario, the Seahawks would emerge as a contender for Garoppolo once he becomes a free agent.
There’s little doubt Garoppolo would be an upgrade over either Lock or Smith. The 30-year-old quarterback may be considered a game manager, but he’s a proven winner. Garoppolo holds a 33-14 career record and has led the Niners to a Super Bowl appearance and NFC Championship Game berth in his two lone full seasons as a starter.
Meanwhile, Smith hasn’t served as a full-time starting quarterback since the 2014 season and Lock failed to win the starting job over journeyman Teddy Bridgewater last season with the Denver Broncos.
While Garoppolo would obviously represent an upgrade at the QB position, the Seahawks may be content to just ride out the entire 2022 season with either Lock or Smith. In a worst-case scenario, Seattle would clinch a high draft pick to select their future franchise quarterback in the 2023 NFL draft. It’s probably a better scenario than posting an average record with Garoppolo as the starter.
The Seahawks still remain a viable destination for Garoppolo, but the future of the franchise may be better off by going with either Smith or Lock as the starting QB for the 2022 season.
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