Getty The Seahawks could pursue Jimmy Garoppolo if he becomes a free agent.
The Seattle Seahawks could find their new franchise quarterback via free agency.
As the Seahawks open training camp with a quarterback competition between Geno Smith and Drew Lock, that may not end up being the case by the end of the preseason. As Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports predicts, not only will the San Francisco 49ers end up releasing Jimmy Garoppolo — rather than trade him — the Seahawks will swoop in and and sign their division rival quarterback.
“It just makes too much sense,” says Benjamin. “This is the last place the 49ers want to deal him, but at some point they’re gonna have to pay for retaining Garoppolo so long. And sure, Seattle has reportedly been lukewarm about other veteran QBs, but they know Jimmy G, and he also just so happens to be cut from Pete Carroll’s preferred cloth — a point guard at his best when he’s leaning on the run. Maybe he could be Carroll’s Carson Palmer. At the very least, he could make the position more palatable until 2023.”
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49ers Eager to Move On From Jimmy G
The 49ers have made it clear that they’re committing to second-year quarterback Trey Lance for the 2022 season. Head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear on Tuesday that it’s “Trey’s team” and that the 49ers are looking to move on from Garoppolo.
“We have moved on to Trey,” Shanahan said. “This is Trey’s team. That’s nothing against Jimmy. We made that decision a year ago and we’re going with that. We’re not going to mess around with that anymore. Jimmy understands that fully. That’s a business decision and that’s what makes it not awkward. Jimmy knows we’re going with Trey. Trey knows we’re going with Trey and our team does, and everyone likes both of those guys.”
The issue is, the 49ers are showing their desperation in moving on from the veteran quarterback. And with a very limited market, San Francisco may not be able to pull off a trade for Garoppolo and his $25 million cap hit.
Considering every NFL team has their quarterback situation settled entering training camp, the more likely scenario sees the 49ers simply releasing Garoppolo. Benjamin explains why this is the more likely situation.
“It might not seem that bold, considering Garoppolo never had a strong trade market this offseason and San Francisco waited this process out perhaps a year too long,” says Benjamin. “But outright releasing Jimmy G would be a bold statement regardless — one that signals true, irreversible investment in 2021 first-rounder Trey Lance, who’s yet to even remotely prove himself as a passer. At the end of the day, however, they aren’t gonna wanna impede on Lance’s emergence as both an on- and off-field leader for a pricey backup with injury issues.”
Seahawks Have Shown Interest in Garoppolo
The Seahawks have shown interest in bringing in Garoppolo, having done their “homework” on the 30-year-old quarterback. However, as The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reported on Tuesday, July 26, Seattle is unlikely to make a trade for the veteran quarterback.
“Similarly, the Seahawks are welcoming a legitimate competition between Drew Lock and Geno Smith, and a trade with NFC West rival San Francisco seems like a long shot, according to sources,” Howe said.
Considering there appears to be no market for Garoppolo and the 49ers are eager to avoid an awkward situation with both Lance and the former 49ers starting QB in the same locker room, the idea of the Seahawks signing him as a free agent could become a reality.