Getty Jimmy Garoppolo of the 49ers.
Jimmy Garoppolo has found his NFL home for the 2022 season, ending all trade and release talks on Monday, August 29.
His home? The San Francisco 49ers.
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Deal Makes Him ‘Highest Paid’ for Position
Per the NFL Network duo of Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport, Garoppolo and the 49ers will continue their relationship.
“The 49ers and QB Jimmy Garoppolo are finalizing a new contract that will make him the highest paid backup in the NFL, sources tell me and Mike Garafolo,” Rapoport tweeted. “A solution that keeps Jimmy G on the roster while making clear it’s Trey Lance’s team going forward.”
The #49ers and QB Jimmy Garoppolo are finalizing a new contract that will make him the highest paid backup in the NFL, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo. A solution that keeps Jimmy G on the roster while making clear it’s Trey Lance’s team going forward.
Rapoport then dove further into the kind of deal Garoppolo will receive.
“The 49ers lowered Jimmy Garoppolo’s base salary to $6.5 million fully guaranteed while giving him a chance to make nearly $10 million more in incentives if he’s starting. A solid solution,” he posted.
Does This Mean Jimmy G can End Career With 49ers?
Garoppolo had spent his entire offseason hearing his name attached to trade rumblings and facing a potential release since the conclusion of the NFC title game loss to the Los Angeles Rams. However, shoulder surgery in March helped complicate his trade value especially in throwing the football in front of any potential interested team outside of the 49ers.
While the 49ers are maintaining Garoppolo for another season, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the 30-year-old is locked away in the Bay Area for the rest of his career.
In fact, this is a short term deal and far different from the $137.5 million decision the 49ers made with Garoppolo back in 2017.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Garoppolo is given this freedom for next season.
“The contract contains no-trade and no-tag clauses, assuring Garoppolo will remain in SF this season and have the freedom to leave in 2023,” Schefter tweeted.
Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers agreed to a restructured one-year contract that will keep the QB in San Francisco this season, per sources. The contract contains no-trade and no-tag clauses, assuring Garoppolo will remain in SF this season and have the freedom to leave in 2023.
Another words, this has the look and feel of a one-year extension that keeps Garoppolo on the roster.
What Deal Also Does for the 49ers
One look at Garoppolo’s base salary on Spotrac, and it’s a massive cut in pay that he’s getting.
Before Monday, Garoppolo was receiving a base salary of more than $24 million annually. But now? Garoppolo will be getting nearly $20 million less this season. His base salary is expected to reach $6.5 million.
On the 49ers’ side, this move additionally clears this up: Salary cap space. The Athletic’s David Lombardi helped break down what Garoppolo’s contract now does for the team.
What we know so far re: Garoppolo staying…49ers will save at least $10 million in cap space and up to $20 million,” Lombardi first mentioned on Twitter. “S.F. maintains quarterback depth [head coach Kyle] Shanahan and [general manager John] Lynch have openly coveted. No-trade clause is good for Garoppolo but not deal-breaker if right option materializes in-season. Option power!”
Now, the 49ers QB room looks like this before the final roster decision day on Wednesday, August 31:
Lance: The starter set for September 11 in the season opener versus the Chicago Bears.
Garoppolo: The veteran backup.
But now comes this: What becomes of both Nate Sudfeld and seventh round draft pick of the 2022 draft Brock Purdy? The 49ers kept both Jimmy G and Lance as QB1 and QB2, respectively. Sudfeld was originally brought in with the idea that he would serve as the No. 2 behind the 2021 third overall pick Lance.
Now, the 49ers may be left with placing the latter two on the practice squad should they try and keep both.
But, in the end, 49ers general manager keeps his word on choosing not to release Garoppolo — telling NBC Sports Bay Area on March 28 “I don’t foresee that. He’s too good of a player.”
John Lynch doesn’t foresee a scenario where the 49ers release Jimmy G