We already knew this, but it is official that Jimmy Garoppolo’s days in San Francisco are numbered. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the 49ers quarterback has been granted permission by the team to seek a trade.
Schefter added that Garoppolo is cleared to begin practicing, but San Francisco is taking a cautious approach with him.
Seeking a trade and actually finding a team to go through with it will continue to be a tall task. While Jimmy G would be an asset to any team, only one team currently has cap space to add the veteran quarterback.
The Cleveland Browns.
“An important factor here will be the $24.2 million base (plus $800K in per-game roster bonuses) due to Garoppolo in 2022. Only one team, the Browns, have the cap space to take that on with moving stuff around. And since it’s not guaranteed, renegotiating it is complicated,” NFL insider Albert Breer reports.
The Cleveland Browns may have traded for Deshaun Watson this offseason, but he is expected to miss a ton of games once the NFL rules on his impending suspension. Garoppolo could serve as a solid placeholder for Cleveland as they wait out any possible punishment from the NFL.
According to Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus, the Browns actually discussed trading for Jimmy G earlier this year.
Garoppolo has one year left on his current deal. He has a base salary of $24.2 million for this upcoming season.
The 30-year-old signal-caller poured in 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season for the 49ers.
