Getty Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and former quarterback Russell Wilson.
The Seattle Seahawks headed into training camp with just three starting quarterbacks on their 90-man roster. However, Las Vegas oddsmakers think that the Seahawks could still make a move for a Super Bowl QB before the season begins.
DraftKings Sportsbook revealed the odds for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s next team amidst speculation that the 30-year-old will be traded this offseason. The Seahawks were named the favorite to be his next team by a fairly sizable margin, coming in at +275 odds.
With the 49ers all in on Trey Lance, what happens next for Jimmy G?
The Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans are the next two most likely landing spots for Garoppolo. Tua Tagovailoa will be on the hot seat for the Dolphins if he doesn’t produce early this season, while the Texans are uncertain if second-year quarterback Davis Mills will be the long-term option under center.
Latest Buzz Surrounding Jimmy Garoppolo
Despite the 49ers making deep playoff runs with Garoppolo as the starting quarterback, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters at the start of training camp that second-year QB Trey Lance will be the team’s starter going forward. That means that Garoppolo will either be playing for a new team in 2022, or sitting on the bench behind the third overall pick in 2021.
With Lance expected to start for the 49ers, Garoppolo has been given permission to seek a trade. The 30-year-old might have been moved earlier this offseason, but shoulder surgery shortly after the end of the season has kept teams away while they waited to see when Garoppolo would be able to resume throwing.
Garoppolo’s health was one big reason why he wasn’t moved, but his contract also makes a potential trade difficult. Garoppolo is set to count for nearly $27 million against the cap this season, and teams can’t afford that kind of contract this late into the offseason without either the 49ers paying a portion of his salary or Garoppolo restructuring his contract.
There would be significantly more options for Garoppolo if he were to be released, however. The 49ers would only lose $1.4 million in dead cap space if they cut the veteran, but they’d also not be getting any assets from a potential trade. For Garoppolo, there would be more than a few teams interested in him if he were willing to sign a cheaper deal than he’s currently under contract for.
There’s still some time for Garoppolo to find a new team before Week 1, but it’s no guarantee that the 49ers will be able to find a suitable trade partner unless something drastic happens to another team’s quarterback during training camp.
Who Is Leading Seattle’s QB Battle?
Assuming that the Seahawks don’t make a trade for another quarterback like Garoppolo, then the team will be paying close attention to the battle for the starting job between Geno Smith and Drew Lock.
According to head coach Pete Carroll, Smith is the early favorite to win the starting job. The 31-year-old has been with the team since 2019, serving as Russell Wilson’s backup. Now that Wilson is in Denver, Smith is hopeful that his limited action in 2021 where he threw five touchdowns and just one interception will be enough for the coaching staff to be convinced he’s a capable starter.
That being said, training camp has only just begun, so there’s still time for Lock to prove himself, especially if he can make some plays during the team’s three preseason games.