It should probably go without saying that Jimmy G should not be expected back in San Francisco in 2022.
Despite leading the 49ers to deep playoff runs twice in the past 3 years, Garoppolo hasn’t shown the killer instinct to win a big game, and has largely benefitted from the all-world offensive talents around him. His touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel against the Rams in the NFC Championship, and later the ill-advised backhanded interception, are good examples of that.
Garoppolo is slated to account for nearly $27m against the cap, in the final year of his deal, if the 9ers decide to stick with him in 2022. Cutting Jimmy G outright would only cost the team $1.4m in dead cap, which is a small price to pay for the overall savings. San Francisco’s cap situation is already sub-optimal, with the team scheduled to be 22nd in total cap space for the upcoming season (Cap Figures courtesy of Spotrac). One year after allocating the 3rd overall pick in the draft to the more versatile and more talented Trey Lance, the 49ers would be wise to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo and use their savings to build around Lance.
So what’s next for Jimmy G?
The good news for Garoppolo is that there are a number of teams that have openings for a starting quarterback or a bridge quarterback. Turning 31 around midseason 2022, Jimmy G is probably best suited for the latter, but could still probably do a job for a contender in the meantime.
In the past, we’ve seen a number of teams with weak offensive performances win championships in the NFL. Some recent examples include Peyton Manning’s final season with Denver in 2015, Tom Brady’s final title in New England in 2018, and both of Eli Manning’s triumphs over the Patriots. Something else that works in Garoppolo’s favor are the two championships that belong to Joe Flacco and Nick Foles, who were both pedestrian passers that benefitted from a creative offensive playbook that took the pressure off of them in big moments. Conversely, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is not exactly renowned for his play-calling in big games.
Wherever he goes, Garoppolo will more than likely be forced to take a contract much less lucrative than the one he signed when he first joined San Francisco in 2017. While there is trade interest, San Francisco is unlikely to get any more than what they gave up for him – a 2nd round pick – and inquiring teams would have to take on his massive contract on top of it.
Fortunately, two of the most QB-needy teams have enough cap space to lock down Jimmy G if they choose.
According to Spotrac, the Steelers are on track to own the 12th most cap space in 2022 and have just lost longtime QB and future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger to retirement. Garoppolo would be joining a similar environment that he enjoyed in San Francisco in Pittsburgh with wideouts Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool, the potential return of Juju Smith-Schuster and blossoming star running back Najee Harris. The Steelers’ offensive line needs substantial work, but they can quickly change that with their 20th overall pick in the 2022 draft, releasing subpar performers such as Joe Schobert to create more funds for free agents and adding a QB such as Garoppolo that at least offers some semblance of a threat through the air unlike the aging Roethlisberger.
Similarly to the Steelers, the Denver Broncos possess a lot of offensive talent and have a really strong defense, but they struggled mightily to put up points in Pat Shurmur’s offense. Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater combined for just 20 touchdowns through the air, and obviously that wasn’t good enough for a team that has long been on the cusp of a playoff berth just to be held back by pedestrian passers. Lock and Bridgewater were sacked for a combined 40 times, which many around the NFL will tell you that that is not included in a recipe for success.
The Broncos are scheduled to pick 9th in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft and are the owners of the 5th most cap space; a whopping $40m. The situation is especially encouraging due to the fact that Denver have already tied down the services of cornerstones Justin Simmons, Bradley Chubb, Garrett Bolles and Courtland Sutton for 2022 and beyond. With the addition of Garoppolo, the team could be poised to make a quick turnaround and challenge for a wild card playoff spot immediately.
No matter which QB-needy team adds Jimmy Garoppolo, he’ll be much appreciated. Garoppolo catches a lot of flak for not posting eye popping numbers and largely being a byproduct of the team around him, but most players are. In the right situation, as we’ve seen, Garoppolo has the potential to take a team deep into the playoffs.