The San Francisco 49ers have given Jimmy Garoppolo’s agents permission to seek a trade, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday.
Schefter adds that the quarterback “has been cleared to start practicing, per team source,” and says the 49ers “still are expected to exercise caution with him this summer.”
The news comes after NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday that Garoppolo is expected to be “fully cleared around mid-August” after undergoing shoulder surgery.
San Francisco will roll with second-year quarterback Trey Lance as the starting quarterback in 2022, after selecting the North Dakota State product with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft (after giving up a haul to acquire the pick).
Garoppolo started 15 games for San Francisco in 2021, throwing for 20 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and 3,810 yards, to go with a passer rating of 98.7. He was the 49ers’ quarterback in the Super Bowl LIV loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2019-20 season.
The 30-year-old has a cap hit of $26.95 million this season, with a base salary of $24.2 million. It’s assumed that any suitors would look to have the dollars owed reduced in order to make the trade.
Where could Garoppolo land? The Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, and Cleveland Browns line up as likely destinations, or at least unless there’s a quarterback injury elsewhere in the coming weeks.
Here’s a look at how NFL fans are reacting to the Garoppolo news:
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.