Jimmy Garoppolo on Tuesday confirmed what most of the football world has assumed since last spring: He will be playing for a new team in the 2022 NFL season and beyond.
The hourglass on Garoppolo's 49ers tenure effectively was tipped when the organization traded up for the No. 3 pick in last year's draft and used it on quarterback Trey Lance. That didn't deter Garoppolo from giving his all this season, though, as he admirably helped lead San Francisco to the NFC Championship Game. Despite coming within one win of Super Bowl LVI with Garoppolo under center, the Niners still plan to move forward with Lance.
Thus begs the question: Where could the veteran signal-caller be traded to this offseason? ESPN 49ers reporter Nick Wagoner kicked around a few potential landing spots in a column published Tuesday.
"The speculation on where Garoppolo lands next will kick into overdrive in the coming weeks," Wagoner wrote. "There is no shortage of teams -- Pittsburgh, Washington, New Orleans, Denver and Tampa Bay, among others -- who figure to be in the market for a quarterback."
Garoppolo in his season exit interview Tuesday mentioned a winning environment is what he covets most when it comes to his next team. The Steelers and the Broncos likely would give Jimmy G the best opportunity to hit the ground running next season, but Denver might be aiming higher in its quarterback search this spring (we're looking at you, Aaron Rodgers). Pittsburgh, meanwhile, comes off as an ideal destination for Garoppolo, and oddsmakers like his chances of ending up there, too.
Any team interested in Garoppolo probably should be prepared to enter a bidding war, however. Top-tier signal-callers who potentially could be available this offseason -- Rodgers, Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson -- all come with plenty of spring attached, which could end up making the eight-year veteran the most desired QB out there.
