Getty The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need a new QB1 following Tom Brady's retirement.
There are no shortage of quarterback options for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the team does have a financial deficit heading into the offseason. CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani offered his “ten crazy NFL offseason predictions” which includes the Bucs signing longtime 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
“With the San Francisco 49ers’ decision to tab Trey Lance to start the 2022 season followed by the emergence of new starting quarterback Brock Purdy, Jimmy G will be on the move this offseason,” Dajani wrote on February 20, 2023. “My wild prediction is that he proves time is a flat circle by replacing his former teammate, Tom Brady, under center in Tampa.
“Is Garoppolo someone who can command an elite air attack? Probably not, but the Buccaneers aren’t exactly in a great position to tank. Look at this roster on paper: They have talent on both sides of the ball. I say go sign a quarterback with starting experience and see what you can do.”
Jimmy G Is Unlikely to Find Another $137 Million Contract in Free Agency
Jimmy Garoppolo to the Buccaneers makes sense, but…
“He works, but Caleb Williams and Drake Maye work way better.” — @ColinCowherd
The 49ers have once again publicly broken up with Garoppolo, something the franchise attempted to do last offseason as well. This time Garoppolo controls his future as the veteran is a free agent.
Garoppolo played on a one-year, $7 million contract last season and was relied on after Trey Lance sustained a season-ending ankle injury. Unfortunately, Garoppolo suffered a serious injury of his own with a broken foot which ended his season.
It remains to be seen what Garoppolo will command on the open market with Derek Carr and potentially Aaron Rodgers (via trade) available for quarterback-needy teams. Prior to restructuring his deal with San Francisco, Garoppolo had a five-year, $137.5 million contract with the Niners. Spotrac projects Garoppolo’s market value to be a four-year, $139.7 million deal, but it difficult to pinpoint a team that would be willing to sign the quarterback to this type of lucrative deal.
The Bucs Needs Some Help to Have a Chance at Landing Jimmy Garoppolo
#49ers JIMMY G TO KITTLE TD!!
The Bucs will most certainly be out of the running for Garoppolo if the veteran’s market runs this hot. Yet, if the quarterback carousel spins, and Garoppolo remains without a seat Tampa Bay makes a lot of sense as a possible landing spot.
The challenge is the Buccaneers are an estimated $55 million above the cap and will be unable to get into a bidding war to land Garoppolo. As teams like the Saints have shown, the NFL salary cap is a bit of a moving target and even franchises well above the structure can manipulate the financial numbers to make additions.
Garoppolo’s injury history is his biggest knock with the veteran missing significant time in two of the last three seasons. This is one of the main reasons the 49ers traded up in the 2021 NFL draft in order to select Trey Lance. Yet, Garoppolo has also proved that when healthy he is capable of being part of a Super Bowl-caliber team.
Prior to his latest injury, Garoppolo threw for 2,437 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 67.2% of his passes in 11 appearances. Garoppolo should remain on Bucs fans’ radars when free agency begins, but Tampa Bay will need some help in order to have a chance at signing the veteran quarterback.