5 teams who could trade for Jimmy Garoppolo in the offseason

If the San Francisco 49ers decide to move off of Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, one of these five teams could do them a favor and trade for him.

It’s been a strange trip for Jimmy Garoppolo. Once tabbed as a potential successor to Tom Brady in New England, he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers at the trade deadline in 2017. Then he went unbeaten in five starts at the end of that season, prompting the 49ers to commit to him long-term.

For a brief time, “Jimmy G” was the highest-paid quarterback in the league based on the average annual value in his five-year, $137.5 million deal.

Garoppolo’s 2018 season ended in Week 3, due to an ACL tear suffered on a run where he should have just ducked out of bounds. In 2019 he was healthy, and performed solidly (27 TD, 13 INT, 69.1 percent completion rate) as the 49ers went 13-3 and reached the Super Bowl.

But Garoppolo was not a key cog in that Super Bowl run. In wins over the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round and the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game, the 49ers’ running game took center stage while Garoppolo attempted a total of 27 passes (completing 17).

This year, it’s an ankle injury that has cost Garoppolo. He missed two games, and then was clearly limited in his Week 5 return against Miami. In Week 8, he apparently suffered what’s been deemed as a “whole new” high-ankle sprain.

Garoppolo is out indefinitely, with 4-6 weeks the timetable for him. Surgery that would end his season is an option, but it’s not the current plan.

Garoppolo has two years left on his contract after this year, with cap hits of $26.9 and $27 million. But a trade or release before next June 1 would leave behind just $2.8 million in dead money for the 49ers.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan has offered the expected belief in Garoppolo. albeit with an interesting quote from his Tuesday press conference.

“I don’t think it’s difficult for me to evaluate. I’ve got a good idea with Jimmy and what Jimmy is capable of doing, and that’s why he’s been here,”

Moving on from Garoppolo during the offseason would not be financially painful. If Nick Mullens plays well in his place, as he did at times in 2018, the idea of moving on will have to be even more firmly on the table.

If the 49ers do want to move on from Garoppolo this offseason, here are five teams who could do them a favor and make a trade for him.

5 teams who could make an offseason trade for Jimmy Garoppolo

5. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts have a question mark at quarterback beyond this season, with only rookie Jacob Eason under contract for 2021. It’s possible Philip Rivers comes back for a second season rather than retire, but Jacoby Brissett is as good as gone when he hits free agency in March.

Indianapolis has the cap space ($76.46 million right now, according to Over The Cap) to do just about anything they want to next offseason (pursue Dak Prescott? Trade for another quarterback?). Garoppolo’s base salaries over $24 million the next two years are not something that would hurt Indianapolis, beyond the idea he’s being paid beyond the level of play he has shown.

It would amount to a one-year flier to trade for Garoppolo, with an easy out again in 2022 ($1.4 million in dead money). As the Colts consider all their options, a move for Garoppolo might land on the radar.