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Jimmy Garoppolo trade market 2022 is finally open. The former New England Patriots stalwart will no longer play for the San Francisco 49ers after a gaffe-riddled end of the season.
Jimmy Garoppolo trade market 2022
Jimmy Garoppolo‘s performances throughout the year had been better than expected. He did more than enough to keep the Niners’ offense afloat during the second half of the season. And, while Deebo Samuel should get most of the credit for their offensive surge, he still wasn’t as bad as most people want you to think.
Needless to say, Jimmy Garoppolo’s trade value is far from high right now. He’s got a $26+ million cap hit for next season, he’s not a winning QB, and the Niners need to get rid of him to make room for Trey Lance. That’s a tough situation to deal with.
“I was talking to John (Lynch) yesterday about finding the right destination and whatever the future holds, just doing it the right way,” Garoppolo told the media, per Mass Live.
“I’ve got a long career ahead of me. I’m excited about it. I’m excited about the opportunities to come. I just want to go to a place where they want to win. That’s really what I’m in this game for. I’m here to play football, win football games and as long as I’ve got that and good people around me, I think the rest will take care of itself.”
Unfortunately, given his big contract and the status of most quarterback-needy teams, he can either start or play for a winning team. Even so, there’s a handful of places where he could actually succeed while playing above .500. Let’s take a look at them.
3. Panthers
The Carolina Panthers have been looking for a starting-caliber quarterback since parting ways with Cam Newton. They were so desperate that they even brought Newton back despite still paying his replacement and his replacement’s replacement.
Matt Rhule could be on the hot seat from day one next season and there are more questions than answers about his roster. But if Christian McCaffrey can be healthy again and the defense takes a step forward, Garoppolo could be more than suited for a decent year and maybe a Wild Card berth.
2. Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers have perhaps the best defensive unit in the NFL. T.J. Watt is a generational talent, and Mike Tomlin has been outstanding at hiding his offenses’ flaws over the past couple of years. Now, they need to find a new guy to lead the way after Ben Roethlisberger‘s retirement.
Big Ben is a first-ballot Hall of Famer and no one can argue that. But he’s been less than a shell of himself since 2018 at least and even Jimmy G would be an upgrade over that version of him. The Steelers continue to make waves as one of Jimmy Garoppolo’s trade destinations, at least while they develop a young QB from the Draft.
1. Buccaneers
And last but not least, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to pop up in Garoppolo trade rumors in the wake of Tom Brady‘s retirement. Somehow, someway, it seems like they’re tied by destiny. From the Patriots to the trade to the 49ers (where Brady actually wanted to retire), and now in Tampa Bay.
Simply put, if Bruce Arians can’t make Garoppolo look like a decent QB at least, then no one can.
The Bucs have an elite line on both ends of the field and a plethora of offensive weapons at his disposal. No one can replace Tom Brady but Garoppolo is familiar with his offensive schemes and could have a one-year audition in Florida.
