Getty Jimmy Garoppolo during the NFC Wild Card game at Dallas on January 16, 2022.
Who would’ve thought that the San Francisco 49ers could make a deal with a rival?
That’s what NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated isn’t ruling out in his column on Monday, May 16, as the 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo remains on trade watch with mandatory minicamp coming.
Garoppolo isn’t expected to take part due to recovering from a surgically repaired shoulder. Breer, however, is part of the population who isn’t ruling out Jimmy G moving on from the 49ers. And now, Breer mentioned a surprise potential landing spot for the veteran quarterback: The Seattle Seahawks.
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‘The Sweet Spot’
Breer believes that Garoppolo’s next home could arrive before a major holiday.
“The sweet spot for the 49ers on Jimmy Garoppolo might come in six or seven weeks,” Breer wrote, meaning the timeframe before the Fourth of July could be in play.
“This is the truth facing Garoppolo — there simply isn’t a clearly open seat for him. But that could change by the time Garoppolo can actually throw the ball again. Garoppolo’s tracking to be back throwing, after rotator cuff surgery, at the end of June or early July. By then, teams will have had two months to see their rosters on the field and reassess ahead of training camp starting at the end of July. So the ‘Niners pushing pause on the effort to move Garoppolo not only allows them to get a good, long look at Trey Lance and build an offense for him accordingly — it also allows for a need to materialize elsewhere.”
And that’s where the Seahawks come in.
“Maybe Drew Lock will struggle in Seattle,” Breer wrote.
The Dilemma Both Face
However, while the ‘Hawks may be in a situation where a veteran quarterback is on speed dial, Breer adds “although, it’s unclear whether the ‘Niners would deal Garoppolo within their division.”
There’s also the possibility of the Carolina Panthers, which Heavy on 49ers reporter Evan Reier dove into on Sunday, May 15.
“Or neither Sam Darnold nor Matt Corral will emerge as a clear choice in Carolina,” Breer adds. “At that point, the 49ers would have a healthier, easier-to-assess quarterback to dangle for them. The risk, of course, is that things go the other way in those places. But at this point, given how quiet it’s been, that seems like a risk worth taking — even with the knowledge that the ‘Niners really could use the $24.6 million in cap space shipping Garoppolo off would create to work on deals with Deebo Samuel (if the ‘Niners can complete a reconciliation there) and Nick Bosa. Stay tuned.”
On Seattle’s end, the ‘Hawks would have to take on the rest of Garoppolo’s hefty salary should Jimmy G be dealt to the Pacific Northwest. Seattle made the surprise decision to pass on names like Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh Steelers), Malik Willis (Tennessee Titans), Desmond Ridder (Atlanta Falcons) and Corral in the draft.
Head coach Pete Carroll, though, downplayed his team seeking out a trade for a veteran QB — telling “The Ian Furness Show” on May 5 “I don’t see us making a trade for anybody at all. I don’t see that happening.”