With Derek Carr headed to New Orleans, there's a clear-cut best quarterback about to be available in NFL free agency.
There won't be a signal-caller better than Jimmy Garoppolo on the open market starting next Wednesday when the NFL opens its new league year. Garoppolo will take his first foray into free agency after six largely successful seasons in San Francisco, which included a trip to Super Bowl LIV.
As for what Garoppolo's market might look like, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport provided some intel Wednesday. The trusted league insider reported the Texans, Raiders and Panthers are likely to show interest in the veteran quarterback, who will turn 32 roughly two months into the 2023 season.
Houston on Wednesday confirmed its interest in Garoppolo through new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, who worked on the 49ers' passing game the last two seasons. Two even more important Texans staffers -- general manager Nick Caserio and head coach DeMeco Ryans -- also have past ties to Jimmy G.
So does Las Vegas head coach Josh McDaniels, whose team needs a new starting quarterback in wake of Carr's departure. The Silver and Black would've made some sense for trade candidate Aaron Rodgers, but the four-time NFL MVP might be bound for New York. This would explain why Rapoport didn't list the Jets among Garoppolo's group of suitors.
The Panthers also need to stabilize their signal-caller situation, so they definitely should kick the tires on the 2014 second-rounder. But Carolina might prefer swinging for the fences in the upcoming draft rather than signing Garoppolo.
