Jimmy Garoppolo came to the 49ers when the organization was in dire straights.
The Niners had four head coaches in four years filled with controversy, chaos and a whole lot of losing football before Garoppolo showed up via the Patriots in a Halloween 2017 trade.
He took over a team that had a 1-10 record in Kyle Shanahan's first season.
He won five straight games to end that season.
He won 30 more over the next four.
Garoppolo is going to leave the 49ers this offseason, most likely via another trade. But make no mistake about it, he has left the Niners better than he found them.
"It's always something I've tried to live," Garoppolo said Tuesday. "You look back on it and just how far this team, this organization has come in four years, it's pretty wild. But I wouldn't change anything for the world."
All class, right there. But change is coming. Where will the 2022 season find Garoppolo?
He said Tuesday that he and the 49ers have already discussed possible trade destinations. He doesn't have any official say in the matter — his no-trade clause will expire in a few weeks — but it's good the 49ers are giving him input into the process. He deserved that.
Per , there are 11 teams in the running for Garoppolo. Some are crazy long shots that would require NFL chaos to truly be involved. A few others make all the sense in the world.
Let's break them down, one by one, from least likely to most.
No sir, not going to happen: Indianapolis Colts +1400, Cleveland Browns +1200, Green Bay Packers +1000
I can understand why the Colts and Browns would be interested in Garoppolo — their quarterbacks are on-par or worse than Jimmy G and don't carry nearly as much off-field value. (Unless we're counting Baker Mayfield's commercials, of course.) Ultimately, it's terribly challenging to imagine how either the Colts or Browns move on from Carson Wentz or Mayfield with their current contracts. Wentz has a $15 million dead cap hit if the Colts cut him (no one is going to trade for him) and Mayfield already had his fifth-year option picked up by the Browns. Would Garoppolo be an upgrade? Sure. Will either team do the incredible amount of work necessary to get that marginal improvement? Nope.
As for the Packers: is Aaron Rodgers actually going to leave Green Bay? I have serious doubts about that. But, more importantly, the 49ers are not going to trade Garoppolo to arguably their top non-divisional NFC rival. They might be willing to move on from Jimmy G, but they're not interested in ever meeting him in a playoff game that's not the Super Bowl. Add in the fact that Garoppolo grew up a Bears fan with disdain for the Packers and Green Bay has former first-round pick Jordan Love on a rookie deal and Garoppolo to Green Bay makes zero sense.
Bad timing: Houston Texans +1000, Denver Broncos +600
Texans general manager Nick Caserio knows Garoppolo from their time in New England, but I simply don't think they're trying to win anytime soon in Houston. Giving up serious draft capital (and contract money) for a veteran quarterback doesn't seem ideal for that team at the moment. Davis Mills was fine last season. Deshaun Watson is still, technically, on the team. Plus, if Garoppolo does, indeed, have a say over his next destination, he'll say no to Houston.
The Broncos are in a spot where Garoppolo could make a ton of sense — new head coach Nathanial Hackett was just the offensive coordinator of Green Bay's Kyle Shanahan system — but I think they're going for a significant upgrade at the quarterback position this offseason and Garoppolo does not provide that level of change over Teddy Bridgewater. You have to go big in the AFC West and consolation prizes aren't going to play in that market. This is bad timing and bad optics — I don't like the combination.
Chaos agents: Las Vegas Raiders +1200
The new guard in the desert comes from New England. I don't know how they feel about Garoppolo, but the tie is there.
But to get to the point where they would be trading for Jimmy G, they'd have to move on from Derek Carr, a quarterback who occupies the same limbo in the NFL's quarterback hierarchy.
It all seems too bold, too soon. There's no way Garoppolo could be worth all that trouble — and it's a whole lot of trouble — for new head coach Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler, who already enter a tense situation following Jon Gruden's resignation, a season of tumult with off-the-field incidents, and many Raiders players wanting interim head coach Rich Bisaccia to be retained.
Can't rule them out: Carolina Panthers +700, Miami Dolphins +700
The Panthers should be with the Browns and Colts here — they just gave up a second-round draft pick and picked up Sam Darnold's fifth-year option. But Darnold was so bad last year that they might just pivot off him this offseason. Garoppolo would be a clear upgrade in Charlotte and there's serious desperation there, but it's still too bold to think it's anything more than a fringe possibility. That desperation is just enough to keep them in it.
You can view Garoppolo as a clear upgrade to Tua Tagovailoa — I do — but will general manager Chris Grier feel the same way? I seriously doubt it. If Niners' offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is hired for this gig, there's an increased chance that Garoppolo could come to town — what a wonderful fit that could be — but the Dolphins don't seem particularly motivated to make a quarterback move this season.
Sleeper: Tampa Bay Buccaneers +550
The reason the Buccaneers would not go for Garoppolo is his inability to throw the deep ball. That's the backbone of any Bruce Arians offense.
That said, Garoppolo might be the best truly available quarterback on the market and the Buccaneers are a top NFC team that plays in a terrible division. Garoppolo has no problem following Tom Brady, either. The Niners might not like having Garoppolo in the NFC, but they aren't above a good deal. The Bucs are in a position to make a huge offer. If Arians decides he's willing to tweak the offense — a big if — or if he sees something in Garoppolo the rest of the league doesn't, this is a great fit.
Don't you wish you still had that no-trade clause: Washington Commanders +400
Did I just give away the new team name? Oops. Sorry about that.
I don't think Garoppolo would be thrilled with this landing spot, but Washington needs a new quarterback, preferably a veteran with a winning pedigree, and a new face for their rebrand, too.
Who better than Garoppolo?
The Niners and Washington worked out a trade for Trent Williams two years ago — the relationship between the two organizations isn't as bad as Kyle Shanahan would want you to believe. Plus, the Niners fleeced them in that deal. Why not go back to the well?
I'd bet Washington will offer the most competitive draft-pick package for Jimmy G in what might not be a terribly competitive market. Whether or not Garoppolo likes it is somewhat irrelevant.
The favorites: Pittsburgh Steelers +300
It makes all the sense in the world for all parties involved.
The Steelers are in win-now mode and they were just able to make the playoffs with Ben Roethlisberger embarrassing himself with passes that made Garoppolo look like Patrick Mahomes.
Yes, Pittsburgh could go with Roethlisberger's backup, Mason Rudolph, at quarterback, but they would be fools to waste a year of their great defense with that nonsense.
Pittsburgh has also shown serious aggressiveness with trading for proven players. Garoppolo isn't on the same level as Minkah Fitzpatrick, but in 2019 the Steelers sent a first-round pick to Miami in-season for the safety, all so they could make the playoffs with Rudolph and Duck Hodges playing quarterback.
Garoppolo says he values winning. No team in the NFL embodies that more than the Steelers. I think he'd make them one of the better teams in the NFL again, too.
For the Niners, it's an easy win if the offered compensation is close. Garoppolo would be going to a great organization but he'd also be out of conference.
For Garoppolo, being the face of another premier, national NFL franchise would be easy. It's a departure from California, but his hometown of Chicago and Pittsburgh are kindred spirits of cities — there should be no cultural issues at all.
I'd be stunned if Pittsburgh isn't the landing spot.
