Getty Jimmy Garoppolo during the December 5, 2021 game at Seattle.
Perhaps Jimmy Garoppolo could stay out west after all.
The NFC West that is…but north of the San Francisco 49ers.
As insiders and analysts sort out which teams are identified as potential landing spots for the veteran quarterback, one prominent NFL insider from ESPN has revealed on Monday, July 11 that one team has “done their film work” on Jimmy G.
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Seahawks Have Watched Garoppolo, Insider Says
Jeremy Fowler spoke with Hannah Storm during the Monday morning Sportscenter and addressed the hard-hitting topics involving NFL quarterbacks and their futures — including where Garoppolo will play.
The Seattle Seahawks have been linked as a possible suitor for a while to Garoppolo, with constant chatter of a potential trade or the 49ers releasing their $137.5 million signal-caller and allow him to find a new NFL home on his own accord.
Now, per Fowler, he has identified the Seahawks as a team that has scrutinized Garoppolo’s game.
“You have Seattle that’s still out there,” Fowler reported Monday to Storm. “They were sort of implicated in the Baker Mayfield situation, didn’t make that move. I’m told that internally they have discussed the possibility of Garoppolo playing for them.”
And part of the evaluation, Fowler pointed out, includes film study of the 30-year-old.
“They have done their film work to see how he would fit,” Fowler reported.
From @SportsCenter with @HannahStormESPN
*Deshaun Watson timeline
*49ers’ hurdles in a Jimmy Garoppolo trade
*Seattle has done its homework on the QB, at least worth watching here.
There are analysts who have gone back-and-forth about whether or not Seattle would be willing to make a trade for Garoppolo. Some believe the 49ers won’t be willing to make a trade offer to a division foe. Others think that Garoppolo would only head to the Pacific Northwest if the 49ers officially terminate his contract, which doesn’t expire until the 2023 offseason when Garoppolo can become an unrestricted free agent.
Financial Dilemmas Involving Garoppolo
Fowler, though, noted that the 49ers still have financial dilemmas involving the 30-year-old quarterback.
One involves Fowler sharing what NFL executives have told him.
“A few executives I spoke too feel the 49ers are a bit stuck here,” Fowler said. “Because they need Garoppolo to pass a physical coming off the shoulder surgery, they need to renegotiate his contract with that new team that new team on that $24 million salary and the pool of suitors, right now, seem to be small.”
The other dilemma: The 49ers still aiming to follow through on resigning prized 2019 draft picks Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel for the long haul. And it’s this situation that gets Fowler believing both NFC West rivals can hold off for the time being.
“But the 49ers and Seattle know they can wait this out because the 49ers have limited cap space right now, I think around $5 million,” Fowler said. “They want to resign Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel. But to do that, they need some of Garoppolo’s $24 million in base salary. Seattle probably knows that, which means maybe they won’t try to make a trade. They’ll just wait for the 49ers to release him.”
Outside of Fowler, one more insider chimed in on the potential of Seattle swooping up Garoppolo…although this insider is a beat reporter covering the ‘Niners.
David Lombardi from The Athletic shared how any team “with a QB need” like Seattle would be observing Garoppolo anyway.
“Expect to see these ‘X team has studied Garoppolo’ reports while he’s still with 49ers — because any team with a QB need will certainly study him,” Lombardi said. “Bigger variables are JG’s resumption of throwing and 49ers’ asking price — which’d be presumably higher for Seattle than anyone else.”
Lombardi then concluded with this reasoning behind the 49ers hanging on to Jimmy G.
“In fact, one reason for the 49ers to hold onto Garoppolo for as long as there remains no real drawback (base salary wouldn’t be guaranteed until Aug. 30) is so Seattle can’t scoop him up at no cost,” Lombardi explained.
In fact, one reason for the 49ers to hold onto Garoppolo for as long as there remains no real drawback (base salary wouldn’t be guaranteed until Aug. 30) is so Seattle can’t scoop him up at no cost