Jimmy Garoppolo rumors: 1 dark horse team makes sense if QB is released

Jimmy Garoppolo has been granted permission to seek a trade but, if the 49ers release him, one dark horse team would make a ton of sense to sign him.

Just when it seemed as if the quarterback market had died down with training camps about to begin around the league, news came that the San Francisco 49ers had granted Jimmy Garoppolo and his agents permission to seek a trade.

The reality of the situation, however, is that it’s unlikely that any team will make that trade. The most logical destination would be the Seattle Seahawks, but it seems farfetched that San Francisco would trade him within the division. Outside of that, not many teams would likely be willing to take on a $26.95 million cap hit for someone who would likely be a backup.

Because of that, the end of this story — once Garoppolo fully heals from shoulder surgery and passes a physical — is that the 49ers release the quarterback given that they would incur just a $1.4 million dead cap hit. That would put him on the open market in free agency.

While the Seahawks would be very much in play there, as would some other teams, there’s one dark horse landing spot that shouldn’t be overlooked: the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys could be Jimmy Garoppolo destination if 49ers release QB

One of the big keys to Garoppolo if he were to hit free agency is that any team signing him can’t threaten the locker room or the position of their starter by bringing in Jimmy G.

That would not be a concern with the Cowboys. This is Dak Prescott’s team and there are precisely zero questions about that. Garoppolo would come in as the backup if he chose to, something that could be beneficial to both Dallas and Garoppolo.

As things currently stand, the backup in Dallas is Cooper Rush. While he’s fine (and nothing more), that’s little insurance should Prescott get injured. Garoppolo would be able to step into a roster that, ostensibly, is looking for another run to the playoffs and not take anything away from the offense.

For Garoppolo, it would give him a destination where he could get healthy and, considering he would likely sign a one-year deal, then be able to hit the market again in the 2023 offseason with his health in tact and his résumé to speak for itself.

This isn’t to say that Garoppolo to Dallas would be a foregone conclusion. They wouldn’t even be considered the favorites to land the quarterback. It is to say, however, that the fit would make a ton of sense and it’s something that both parties would have to explore should Jimmy G end up being released by the 49ers.