The 2022 NFL offseason saw a lot of trades change the league-wide landscape at the quarterback position.
It began when Russell Wilson was dealt to the Broncos after a decade with the Seahawks. Then, in March, Carson Wentz, Deshaun Watson and Matt Ryan all moved to new teams to continue their careers. Things stayed quiet for a few months after that before Baker Mayfield headed from Cleveland to Carolina to compete for the Panthers' starting job.
Now, the dust has largely settled, and every disgruntled passer has found a new home for the 2022 NFL season.
Except for Jimmy Garoppolo, that is.
The 49ers quarterback has remained in San Francisco even though the team has proclaimed that Trey Lance will be its starter this season.
It makes sense that the Niners would want to give Lance, the No. 3 overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft, a chance to start. However, it has created a rather awkward situation for Garoppolo, as the 49ers have been unable to find a suitor for the veteran passer in a trade.
The clock continues to tick on a potential Garoppolo deal as Week 1 of the season draws nearer. But as Jimmy G trade watch enters its 11th hour, there is reason to believe that the preseason could finally lead to a move. Here's why.
MORE: How the Baker Mayfield trade impacted Jimmy G's future with the 49ers
Injuries could create a need at quarterback for a team
Let's start with the obvious in breaking down a potential Garoppolo trade: Injuries could dramatically shift the NFL landscape as both training camp reps and live-game action intensify.
Sure, right now most teams across the NFL know who their starting quarterback will be while the others are hosting competitions for the job. So, a lot of teams feel like they have a plan for the position.
But what happens if that starter goes out in the preseason — or in practice — and suffers an injury that will sideline him long-term? That's when some teams might think about hitting the panic button.
We've seen this happen before, with the most recent, notable example being when the Vikings lost Teddy Bridgewater to a devastating knee injury during practice on Aug. 30, 2016. Just a few days after that happened, the Vikings were desperate enough to send a first-round pick to the Eagles for Sam Bradford. That allowed them to avoid starting Shaun Hill or a guy signed off the street as the team's No. 1 quarterback.
The Eagles were uniquely positioned to trade Bradford, their projected starter, because they had No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz waiting in the wings. It mirrors the situation that the 49ers have with Garoppolo and Lance, and San Francisco has been more vocal about its desire to start Lance in 2022.
Rest assured that John Lynch will be keeping a close eye on the quarterback rooms across the NFL. If any notable starter goes down or even gets banged up, Lynch won't hesitate to call and offer up Garoppolo.
Jimmy Garoppolo could prove himself healthy
The health equation goes both ways in the case of Garoppolo. He has been recovering from offseason surgery to his throwing shoulder, and that may have been part of what was holding up any potential trade.
Garoppolo passed his physical and avoided being placed on an injury list before training camp.
And per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Garoppolo appears to be "progressing well" in his recovery, though it isn't yet complete.
When we saw him, he look good throwing the ball on the rehab field but not quite 100 percent. [He] still needs to build up the stamina in his arm before he can get fully and finally cleared.
While Rapoport speculated that Garoppolo was "a couple weeks away" from being cleared, John Lynch has stated that Garoppolo has been cleared to practice fully; he just isn't doing so with the 49ers as he awaits a trade.
That could be an issue for any potential trade involving Garoppolo, as he won't have an opportunity to showcase that he is fully healthy if he doesn't play in the preseason. It seems unlikely that he would suit up for the 49ers given that he isn't practicing with them.
Still, that Garoppolo is able to practice is good news for any potential trade. It shows that he is progressing, even if potential suitors can't see that on the field.
IYER: Where Trey Lance ranks among NFL starting quarterbacks in 2022
A team could be dissatisfied with its quarterback competition
Injury issues aside, it's also completely possible that a team's brain trust looks at its quarterback situation and says to itself, "Yeah, we better do something if we want to keep our jobs."
There are a handful of teams across the NFL hosting quarterback competitions that could quickly go awry. The Steelers are set to roll with one of Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett or Mason Rudolph as their starter; the Panthers are featuring a riveting battle between Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold.
Perhaps worst of all, the Seahawks are choosing between Geno Smith and Drew Lock as they look to replace Russell Wilson.
If any of these three competitions emerge without a clear winner, the teams could at least consider calling the 49ers and trying to get Garoppolo. After all, the 49ers were able to reach the Super Bowl and play in the NFC title game in two of their last three seasons with him as the starter, so he can be a capable No. 1 quarterback.
The other team that could become dissatisfied with its quarterback situation quickly is the Browns. It has been reported Cleveland may pursue Garoppolo if Deshaun Watson's suspension increases.
Cleveland first seemed content to roll with Jacoby Brissett, but that was when Watson's suspension was only expected to be six games. The NFL is now pushing for a year-long suspension of Watson. If Watson is banned long-term, the Browns would have the cap space needed to acquire Garoppolo to add depth to their quarterback room.
MORE: Why the Browns might pursue Jimmy Garoppolo
The 49ers are running out of time before final cuts
The 49ers appear to be waiting for a suitor to emerge in the Garoppolo sweepstakes. As Rapoport reports, "there is no clear trade partner" for the veteran quarterback at this time even as final roster cuts approach on Aug. 30.
Some may think that the 49ers will keep Garoppolo beyond cut day, but in reality, it will be hard for the team to justify doing that. Why? Because Garoppolo is set to have a cap hit of nearly $27 million in 2022, per Spotrac.com. That's far too much for a backup, but hardly any of it is guaranteed.
As such, the 49ers can cut Garoppolo to save nearly $25.6 million in cap space. That would allow them extra resources that they can utilize to build around Lance in 2022 and beyond, as unused cap space rolls over to the next offseason.
The 49ers certainly want to get an asset back for Garoppolo even though they could justify cutting him for the cap saving alone. So, the 49ers could drop their asking price for Jimmy G as they make a last-ditch effort to offload him for any type of asset.
It's unclear what the 49ers' asking price for Garoppolo has been thus far, but a drop may spark more interest in him and could help to facilitate a deal. This is especially true if the 49ers are willing to pay some of Garoppolo's salary or if he is willing to negotiate a restructured contract with his new team.
Soon, fans will see whether Garoppolo is traded or released by the 49ers. Either way, it certainly seems like an end to the partnership between the two sides is coming.
