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After the blockbuster trade between the San Francisco 49ers, the Miami Dolphins and then the Philadelphia Eagles, it has many left wondering what the future of Jimmy Garoppolo in San Francisco looks like. The 49ers acquired the No. 3 overall pick and in doing so, gave up three first rounders (including No. 12 this year) and a future third rounder as well. With San Francisco willing to give up so much draft capital, all signs point to them taking a quarterback with the No. 3 pick. If that's true, is Garoppolo done in San Francisco?
According to Adam Schefter and countless others, the 49ers are saying what you would expect them to.
And the 49ers did not trade up with one QB in mind. They traded up because they’re good with the options that will be their at No. 3.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 26, 2021
This almost speaks like, “San Francisco knows Trevor Lawrence will be gone. They don't care if Zach Wilson or Justin Fields is taken at No. 2, they'll take whoever is leftover over Jimmy Garoppolo.” Is that an exaggerating? Maybe. But it's also probably not too far off from the truth either.
49ers now square in the QB mix, but are holding on to Jimmy Garoppolo and have no plans to trade him, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 26, 2021
Of course they aren't going to make this trade and yell from the mountain top, “Thank goodness we can now draft a quarterback!” That's just not going to happen. But it would be naive to suggest or think that the Garoppolo era will last past 2021 in San Francisco. You don't trade all those future draft picks to move up nine spots unless you are taking what in your mind is a franchise changing quarterback. You don't move up nine spots and give up three future first rounders and a third to draft a cornerback or a linemen or a wide receiver. It's just not how things work in the NFL. They will take a quarterback with the pick.
Now if the 49ers traded up and gave all of that up for the No. 3 pick, why wouldn't they try and trade Garoppolo knowing they are going to take a quarterback? Good question! Here's the answer:
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IF the 49ers were to trade Jimmy G., here's what his new team would owe him:
2021: $24.1M salary, $600K workout bonus, $800K in per-gamer roster bonuses
2022: $24.2M salary, $600K workout bonus, $800K in per-gamer roster bonusesAs of now, two years, $51.1M.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 26, 2021
There isn't a soul in the world that would be willing to take on that contract for a quarterback that still has a ton of questions about how good he actually is piled on with some injuries from 2020 as well. And the 49ers know that as well as anybody. They're playing their cards close to the vest, as they should.
It's too bad for Jimmy Garoppolo, who was once thought to be the heir apparent and the next superstar quarterback in the NFL. And it was just two years ago that he was the starting quarterback for San Francisco in the Super Bowl. Now, it'd be disingenuous to not mention that team was led by an incredible defense and a sound run game, but Garoppolo contributed too. It just hasn't worked out in San Francisco outside of that one big run.
The big question that won't have an answer for a few years is whether or not it was the right decision by the 49ers. If you think you have a can't miss, franchise changing quarterback that you can go get in the draft, it's worth trading up for it. It's the most important position in the NFL and maybe in sports.
The Chicago Bears get a lot of crap for trading all that they did to move up to No. 2 in order to draft Mitchell Trubisky in 2017. Even though it was a big swing and a miss, the Bears at least stepped into the batters box and took a hack. They identified what they thought was a for sure bet to be their franchise leader for the next decade plus, and they missed. But at least they took a swing.
Odds are even if San Francisco misses on the quarterback they select that Jimmy Garoppolo isn't going to go light things on fire somewhere else. The eye test and the resume to date leans in the opposite direction. So the 49ers figure why not shake it up and take who they believe can lead them to the promise land and be “the guy” for the next 10 or more years.
The 49ers made big waves with the trade on Friday that landed them the No. 3 overall pick. There's still a chance Garoppolo is the starting quarterback in 2021 for the 49ers. But anything past that just isn't happening. This isn't an Aaron Rodgers – Jordan Love situation in Green Bay because, Jimmy Garoppolo isn't an Aaron Rodgers. San Francisco knows that and now they are poised to take his replacement in the NFL Draft.
