Jimmy Garoppolo opens up about unknown future
On Tuesday, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo spoke openly about his uncertain future, and what he hopes for.
Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t fooling himself. It’s over.
After five years with the San Francisco 49ers in which quarterback and team reached two NFC title games and one Super Bowl, Garoppolo knows his time by the Bay is up. Last spring, the Niners traded a trio of first-round picks to the Miami Dolphins, allowing them to select Trey Lance as Garoppolo’s successor.
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Now, with Lance ready for the role and Garoppolo having only one year left on his deal, the time for San Francisco general manager John Lynch to trade him is now.
On Tuesday, Garoppolo spoke about the situation with media before exiting the facility. Per NFL.com:
“We’ve talked a little bit, I think more will happen in the days to come but yeah these guys have been very upfront about the whole thing,” Garoppolo said. “Was talking to John (Lynch) yesterday just about finding the right destination and whatever the future holds, just doing it the right way. Got a long career ahead of me so I’m excited about it, excited about the opportunities to come.
“I just want to go to a place where they want to win, that’s really what I’m in this game for. I’m here to play football, I’m here to win football games and as long as I got that and good people around me, I think the rest will take care of itself.”
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While Garoppolo has been much-maligned at times (and, at times, rightfully so), he’s been a winner. In his 47 career starts with the 49ers and New England Patriots, the former Eastern Illinois star is 33-14. This season, Garoppolo started 15 games and threw for 3,810 yards with 20 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.
For San Francisco, trading Garoppolo should happen before the new league year, which kicks in March 16. The Niners can get him off their books before free agency, all while loading up on draft capital to help surround Lance with talent.
As for options to keep in mind for Garoppolo, look at the Washington Football Team, Denver Broncos and, to a lesser extent, the Pittsburgh Steelers. All need upgrades at quarterback and with one, can be playoff squads. Garoppolo might not be the long-term answer at any of those locales, but he certainly fits the description of a step up in 2022.
