The San Francisco 49ers were unable to find a trade partner for veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, but they’re obviously glad a move never materialized.
After last season, head coach Kyle Shanahan handed the keys over to 2021 first-rounder Trey Lance. Unfortunately, the former No. 3 selection suffered an ankle fracture which abruptly ended his season in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks.
The 49ers have gone 6-3 in games started by Garoppolo this season, and they’re in the driver’s seat to win the NFC West division crown, San Francisco will try to improve to 8-4 this Sunday when they host the surging Miami Dolphins.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the highly-anticipated matchup on Thursday, Jimmy G revealed something very interesting: The Dolphins were actually among the teams that were in the mix for him this offseason:
Here’s what Garoppolo told reporters, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk:
“They were in the conversation. Not much came from it, but they were definitely one of the teams in the conversation. It seemed like a good spot. As an offense, that’s tremendous skillplayers, everything they got going over there. Mike {McDaniel] being a great coach, I had been with him in the past here and it was discussed, but I’m glad the way things worked out.”
Garoppolo had to undergo offseason shoulder surgery this year, and that clearly affected the market for him. The Carolina Panthers were an ultra-needy QB team, but they wound up trading for former Cleveland Browns starter Baker Mayfield.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
Many thought the Seattle Seahawks made sense for Garoppolo, but it would’ve been difficult to convince a division rival to make a trade. At any rate, Seattle has gotten excellent play out of veteran Geno Smith this year.
Garoppolo’s contract will expire after this season, and then he’ll be eligible to enter free agency. In regards to potential suitors, the Panthers, Seahawks, New Orleans Saints, Washington Commanders, New York Giants, Detroit Lions and Houston Texans are all teams that could use a quarterback upgrade. Of course, several of them will address their need for a quarterback in the QB-heavy 2023 draft class.
The bottom line? If he continues this stellar play, Garoppolo will set himself up for a very nice payday in 2023 free agency.
