The San Francisco 49ers are facing some big decisions about the state of their quarterback position after the 2020 season.
The team could part ways with Jimmy Garoppolo, two years after signing him to a five year, $137.5 million contract. As ESPN's Bill Barnwell notes, Garoppolo's $25.5 million salary for 2021 (and $25.6 million for 2022) is non-guaranteed.
Garoppolo played adequately as a game manager in 2019, as the 49ers rode expert coaching, a strong running game and an elite defense to a fourth-quarter lead in Super Bowl LIV. Yet, he has never quite displayed an ability to consistently stay healthy nor play at a Pro Bowl level. On the other hand, he does boast a 24-8 record as a starter.
The 49ers are open to trading Garoppolo for a second- or third-round pick, according to Dan Pompei of The Athletic. If they decide to keep him, their focus would switch to dealing QB Nick Mullens:
“If the 49ers don’t cut ties with Garoppolo, they could try to trade Nick Mullens, scheduled to be a restricted free agent,” writes Pompei.
“'I’ve always kind of liked him,' one evaluator said. ‘I could see a team thinking he is a low-level starter. The problem is we haven’t seen it from him week after week.'”
Mullens, 25, has started 10 games over three seasons in San Francisco, winning four. He has thrown 17 touchdowns to 13 interceptions with a solid QB rating of 92.7. Mullens is 1-1 as a starter this season going into Thursday's game against the Green Bay Packers.
The 49ers have been one of the most injury-ravaged teams in the league in 2020, beginning when they lost defensive linemen Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas to season-ending knee injuries on the same drive in Week 1. Garoppolo (high ankle sprain) and tight end George Kittle (foot fracture) are both out for an extended time.
The Niners are 4-4 heading into Week 9, but sit in last place in the loaded NFC West.
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