San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is one of the biggest names set to hit the free agent market.
Earlier this week, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that the team won’t be bringing back Garoppolo, who has been with the organization since 2017. The 49ers will presumably roll with the young QB tandem of 2022 hero and Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy and 2021 third overall pick Trey Lance.
With Tom Brady announcing his retirement on Wednesday, the free agent market for Garoppolo should only increase. Given the amount of QB-needy teams heading into 2023, there’s no doubt that Garoppolo will generate plenty of interest.
All four NFC South teams especially could use a new starting quarterback, and the division is wide-open with Brady retired. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, one NFL personnel evaluator thinks the Atlanta Falcons make sense for Garoppolo:
“One league personnel evaluator had a good suggested fit for Atlanta: Jimmy Garoppolo A bridge starter with QB1 upside, Garoppolo would get shades of the Niners’ Kyle Shanahan offense with the Falcons, thanks to Arthur Smith’s lean on the run and play-action. And Garoppolo would come at a reasonable financial clip.”
The 49ers tried trading Garoppolo last offseason, but they were unable to find a taker largely due to his offseason shoulder surgery. The two sides wound up agreeing to a reworked contract that kept him in the Bay Area for another year.
Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2, prompting the 49ers to turn back to Garoppolo. He suffered a foot injury in Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins, forcing the 49errs to turn to Purdy.
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The Falcons finished 7-10 on the year with the quarterback tandem of veteran Marcus Mariota and 2022 third-rounder Desmond Ridder. Again, the division will be wide open with Brady out of the picture, and Garoppolo would be a considerable upgrade at quarterback for Atlanta
But even if the Falcons like Garoppolo, they will have a handful of challengers. The Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets are among the teams who need a QB and could pursue Garoppolo.
