The NFL quarterback carousel keeps turning at a dizzying pace.
And yet Jimmy Garoppolo is still on the San Francisco 49ers roster.
Wednesday's big move — the Colts trading Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders — doesn't actually do much to appreciably change the odds of Garoppolo being traded in the coming days.
The top target has simply moved west.
Before Wednesday's baffling trade — the second clear-cut fleecing in a quarterback trade as many days (in this case, the team trading the quarterback won the deal) — the Commanders were the most viable landing spot for Garoppolo. Seeing what they sent to Indianapolis for Wentz and the money they'll take on as part of the deal, they were correctly identified as marks.
The Colts are anything but marks. Acquiring Wentz was a mistake, but they corrected that mistake in short order. They're only marginally worse for wear.
Now they need a starting quarterback. Looking at the market, Garoppolo is the top option available.
And while my negative opinion of Garoppolo the player is well known, I legitimately believe that he would be a great fit for the Colts.
It just works on level after level after level for both teams.
Now, clearly, Indianapolis liked certain aspects of Wentz. And Garoppolo and Wentz are exceptionally similar quarterbacks in their place in the NFL hierarchy. They're both bottom-tier veteran starters but elite bridge quarterbacks.
Garoppolo is, in so many ways, a bizarro Wentz.
And yes, that's a compliment.
Now, both quarterbacks are flawed. Both are injury risks. That's why they're being moved. But how they're flawed couldn't be more different. Both make stunningly bad decisions with the ball at times, but Wentz almost exclusively throws the sidelines, while Garoppolo almost exclusively throws over the middle of the field. Wentz makes bad decisions to run; Garoppolo makes bad decisions to stay in the pocket.
But the real separation between Garoppolo and Wentz comes off the field.
Wentz has been characterized as self-centered, egotistical, and selfish by former teammates, coaches, and executives. "Entitled" has been a word used a lot over the last two years in conversations about him.
With reviews like that, it lines up that his leadership abilities — pretty important for a quarterback, no? — are questionable at best, as evidenced by his well-documented jealously of Nick Foles following the Eagles' incredible Super Bowl run with Wentz sidelined and his one year in Indianapolis, where the quarterback's decision to not be vaccinated created chaos in the final weeks of a season with the Colts trying to make a playoff push. Wentz's abysmal play in a must-win Week 18 game against the lowly Jaguars was a fitting epitaph to his Indianapolis tenure.
Again, I'm critical of Garoppolo the quarterback, but he was an A-plus leader during his time in San Francisco. His teammates, no matter their background, loved him. And it wasn't fake love, too. That facade would have crumbled with ease given his on-field performance.
Garoppolo is an elite hang — a guy's guy. He's seriously tough, has a deep passion for the game of football, and carried no ego in the locker room. His relentless optimism was part of the secret sauce that allowed the 49ers to reach the Super Bowl in 2019 and the NFC Championship Game this past season.
Plenty of folks in Santa Clara still swear by Jimmy G. It's a big reason why he's hung around for so long, despite countless injuries and questionable play.
And it must be acknowledged and lauded that he'll leave the 49ers in significantly better shape than how he found them.
Can Wentz say the same for his time in Philadelphia or Indianapolis?
That's pretty telling, no?
Much like with Wentz, I don't believe there's a robust market for a Garoppolo trade. Now, if the 49ers cut Garoppolo, his list of suitors will increase.
But the Colts are in a situation where they need stability at the quarterback position — at least a medium-term option. They've run through too many one-and-dones.
Garoppolo fits Frank Reich's offense, fits with the Colts' personnel, fits in the Midwest (just another Chicagan moving to Indy...), and he fits the team's needs for an egoless leader who has proven he can win games.
And Garoppolo's contract, even in its current form, fits easily under the salary cap for the Colts, who have the most cap room in the NFL this offseason per OverTheCap.com.
Now, there are other quarterbacks on the market that Indianapolis can sign to start this season. Things could probably work with Mitch Trubisky or former AFC South rival Marcus Mariota, but do either strike you as viable long-term starters in this league?
The Colts are looking to win a Super Bowl. They don't have a first-round pick. A rookie is out of the question.
Garoppolo might not have the goods to win a Super Bowl, but he can come close, and that's what separates him from the rest of this quarterback class.
At this point, the Niners won't even need to strike a hard bargain. Drop the salary, pick up a third-round pick, maybe a couple of Day 3 selections, too, and keep the train moving with Trey Lance as the team's QB 1. That'd be a huge win. Getting him out of the NFC and sending a good guy to an excellent organization is an added bonus for San Francisco's front office.
I am someone who almost always sees the glass as half empty, but to me, this glass is full. Jimmy G to Indianapolis, should it go down, is a true win-win for both teams. It's a win for Garoppolo, too. A win-win-win.
And after a couple of comically lopsided trades, here's hoping that deals like that can still be made in this day and age.
