Who’s going to start at quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers next season? It’s the question that’s sweeping the nation.
I’m only sort of kidding. It is a major NFL talking point right now, so much so that even O.J. Simpson is weighing in on the matter. (He’s pro-trading for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson or Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.) After a disappointing, injury-riddled 6-10 campaign, San Francisco is uniquely positioned for a big comeback in 2021 … if the team has a dependable signal-caller, anyway.
The problem is that decent and Pro Bowl-quality quarterbacks are quickly getting snatched up. Matthew Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, a division rival. This week, the Philadelphia Eagles traded Carson Wentz — who was terrible in 2020 but is only a few years removed from an MVP-level campaign — to the Indianapolis Colts. If Wentz can fetch a third-round draft pick in 2021, plus either a second- or first-round pick in 2022, then the market for the remaining potential players is going to be steep.
We evaluated the realistic-ish quarterback rumors last week, and below, we’re doing the same based on new intel.
Jimmy Garoppolo
If you clicked on this story, you’re likely ready to move on from Jimmy G, who missed 10 games in 2020 and wasn’t very good in his starts. But Garoppolo is still the frontrunner for the Niners’ job, as boring as that may sound. On Sunday, ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler said that “Garoppolo’s still a viable option” for San Francisco. NFL insider Andrew Brandt recently noted that he doesn’t see the Texans trading Watson, the Las Vegas Raiders trading Derek Carr or the Seattle Seahawks trading a disgruntled Russell Wilson. Which certainly narrows it down for the 49ers.
But Brandt did add something intriguing: San Francisco’s contract with Jimmy G allows the team to cut ties with him and only suffer a $3 million cap hit. “If they decide to move on — and that happens in this league, we know it — they’re flexible,” Brandt said. “They have an ability to do that and not upset their team building, their roster building, their cap management, which I believe is the optimal way to do it.”
In other words, if a positional upgrade presents itself, but the other team doesn’t want Garoppolo back in a trade, it wouldn’t be a deal-breaker for the 49ers.
Deshaun Watson
Watson’s flirtation with the 49ers continues. Last weekend, the aforementioned Fowler also reported that Watson has a short list of teams he’s intrigued by. One is the Denver Broncos. Another is the Miami Dolphins, who have the most assets to offer the Texans in a swap. A third franchise is the San Francisco 49ers.
For now, new Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio is posturing that Watson won’t be traded. “We have zero interest in trading the player,” was his line late in January. That doesn’t mean much, but it’s true that with five years left on his deal, Watson doesn’t have nearly the same leverage as NBA players do when they ask out.
For the Niners to actually pull off a monster transaction, Watson will need to up his complaints in a public-facing way, and general manager John Lynch will need to part with at least two or three first-round draft picks, in addition to a valuable positional player. It would be worth it, but it’s a lot to give up.
Sam Darnold
Yes, San Francisco does appear to be kicking the tires on this one. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer says at least five teams have called the Jets about the 23-year-old quarterback, and that the 49ers are a potential trading partner, so you can read between the lines. Apparently, the Jets — who have the No. 2 overall draft pick — are giving inquiring general managers the same response: Check back with us soon.
If the Jets decide they want to lock in a quarterback with their top draft pick, expect them to move swiftly on Darnold. And at that point, the 49ers will have a tough decision on their hands.
A draft pick
The nuclear option! The 49ers have the No. 12 pick, so if they can’t get Watson, they don’t want Darnold and they’d rather cut Garoppolo, they could always draft their next starter. It would be a risky play, and throwing rookies in the fire is a pretty mixed bag. Plus, Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, BYU’s Zach Wilson and Ohio State’s Justin Fields seem to be off the board by the No. 12 spot in most mock drafts, making this the least likely option.
It’s not totally improbable, however, that if Lynch decides he loves North Dakota State’s Trey Lance or Alabama’s Mac Jones, he could opt to save some cap space at quarterback by cutting Garoppolo and taking a shot at a high-risk, high-reward payoff.
