Jimmy Garoppolo has looked like one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks since taking over as the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, and he is about to get paid handsomely (not as handsome as he is) for his services this offseason.
ESPN NFL insider Mike Sando spoke to four NFL executives who outlined four potential contract options for Garoppolo this offseason. Of course, two of those options now are off the table since the former New England Patriots signal-caller has ripped off four straight wins and has looked deserving of a hefty paycheck.
One no longer relevant option, according to Sando’s conversations, is signing Garoppolo to a long-term deal that is heavy on incentives, much like the one that Colin Kaepernick signed with the 49ers after his rookie deal expired.
Sando notes that this option is not valid, as Garoppolo knows the 49ers will do what it takes to retain him and that starts with the franchise tag.
A second non-valid option is to sign Garoppolo to a short-term, high-salary contract like the one Sam Bradford signed with the Philadelphia Eagles (two years, $36 million), but that’s not going to fly with Jimmy G, per one executive.
“Garoppolo is not going to give you a (compromise) deal, and why should he?” a longtime exec told Sando. “You shouldn’t even offer him anything along these lines, because you will insult him. What he has done is pretty impressive.”
So, that leaves the 49ers with two options: either franchise tag him or give him a large deal.
The franchise tag (around $23.5 million in 2018) would allow the 49ers to keep Garoppolo without making a long-term commitment if they are unsure that he is the real deal, and gives them the option of working out a longer-term deal while he is under contract.
The last option, of course, would be for San Francisco to pay Garoppolo as one of the top quarterbacks in the league, with Derek Carr’s recent contract (five-year, $125 million) being the starting point.
One NFL executive told Sando that the 49ers should pay Garoppolo and likely will since first-time general manager John Lynch hasn’t had a lucrative deal blow up in his face yet.
“What we are all saying here is, ‘We think Garoppolo is the real deal, and he is going to be a second-tier quarterback at worst,'” an executive told Sando. “He is going into his fifth year, so you pay the guy. If he gets hurt, well, that can happen to anybody.”
Garoppolo certainly deserves the pay increase, as he now is 6-0 as a starter in his career after ripping apart the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16.
