The potential star power available at quarterback this offseason could be enough to alter the NFL landscape in a profound way. Deshaun Watson appears ready to move on from Houston. Matthew Stafford is on his way out of Detroit and a solemn Aaron Rodgers press conference has fired up speculation (emphasis on speculation) that he may be done with the Packers.
The 49ers may be in search of an upgrade at quarterback, meaning any potentially available signal caller is going to be tied to San Francisco and head coach Kyle Shanahan. While that logic tracks, especially in the case of an obvious upgrade over Garoppolo like Watson or Rodgers, it’s important to keep a couple things in mind.
First, there’s been no substantial reporting tying the 49ers to any of the possible trades.
The Dolphins and Jets are the only teams named in any reporting about Watson.
Reporting on Stafford has just indicated the Lions are fielding calls about a trade now that they’ve agreed to part ways with their quarterback.
Rodgers only had a sad press conference that led some to read between the lines of his answers. There’s nothing on the table with him yet that indicates he even wants out of Green Bay.
The other thing to keep in mind is where the 49ers stand with Jimmy Garoppolo. Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have both indicated they expect Garoppolo to be the starter next season.
Shanahan said in order for San Francisco to entertain making a change at quarterback, the player would need to be a significant upgrade. Factoring in the draft capital it would take to acquire a quarterback that represents the significant upgrade the 49ers would be looking for increases the risk factor in any risk-reward analysis for San Francisco.
It looks and sounds like the 49ers coaching staff and front office feel better about their chances with Garoppolo under center than some fans and analysts do. They’ve said all the right things regarding the QB, and their actions have backed that up to this point. They haven’t drafted a quarterback since taking CJ Beathard in the third round of the 2017 draft. That could certainly change this year with no quarterbacks other than Garoppolo and journeyman Josh Johnson under contract for next season, but that may not alter Garoppolo’s short-term prospects as San Francisco’s starting signal caller.
Shanahan has constructed a roster full of playmakers that can still produce yards and big plays even with Garoppolo’s weaknesses pushing the ball down the field. Trading valuable draft capital in a year where the salary cap could become an issue and so many holes have opened on the roster would only make sense for a franchise-altering player under center.
Now, there’s a discussion to be had about Garoppolo’s long-term future with San Francisco.
They’ve chosen not to extend him even though doing so could conceivably free up some money in the short-term, and his injury woes are a real concern for a team that feels as though it’s in the middle of a championship window. Not to mention Garoppolo’s deficiencies as a quarterback probably aren’t something Shanahan will want to have to make up for over the next decade.
Still, that doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to make a move for an available quarterback, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they wind up never becoming a real factor.
Watson has a no-trade clause that could allow him to dictate where he plays. If the 49ers are not a team he prefers, there’s nothing San Francisco can do about it.
Stafford has less control, but the Lions may be willing to work with him if their relationship is still amicable. There’s also a chance Stafford doesn’t fit the upgrade threshold Shanahan says he requires to move on from Garoppolo.
Rodgers may not even want to be traded, so that one will go on the backburner for now. Even then, he’ll have quite a bit of leverage where the 49ers could be a non-factor in the event he doesn’t want to go there.
The 49ers need to figure out their long-term answer at quarterback soon. It’s the most important position on the field and Garoppolo may not be the player they’re going to build around. However, that doesn’t mean they need to do something drastic in 2021. Just because there may be quarterbacks on the move doesn’t mean San Francisco is guaranteed to be involved. And when it comes down to it, they may not have much of a choice.
