Jimmy Garoppolo Odds: Two-Horse Race In Trade Market For 49ers QB?
It could be time for Trey Lance in San Francisco -- or not
There was a time, shortly after the San Francisco 49ers lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game, when a Jimmy Garoppolo trade seemed inevitable.
Now? Not so much.
While it's entirely possible, perhaps even likely, the Niners trade Garoppolo before the 2022 NFL season, opening the door for Trey Lance to take over as San Francisco's starting quarterback, oddsmakers are bracing for Jimmy G to return to the Bay Area.
Bovada released odds on where Garoppolo will play Game 1 of the upcoming campaign, and as of Friday night, the 49ers were installed as the favorites at -240.
Next on the list: the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks, both at +300.
Here are the full odds, per Bovada:
San Francisco 49ers -240
Carolina Panthers +300
Seattle Seahawks +300
Detroit Lions +650
Houston Texans +1400
This has been a crazy NFL offseason, with several superstar players -- including multiple franchise quarterbacks -- changing teams, both in free agency and via trades. And yet Garoppolo somehow, someway remains a member of the 49ers organization, with very few potential suitors remaining.
The Panthers and Seahawks are two feasible landing spots, with Carolina likely looking to upgrade from Sam Darnold and Seattle trying to replace Russell Wilson after trading its longtime signal-caller to the Denver Broncos. Neither necessarily needs to act out of desperation, though. While the Panthers have Darnold to fall back on, the Seahawks have Drew Lock, who was acquired in the Wilson deal.
Interestingly, the Seahawks are the betting favorites to land Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield in wake of Cleveland acquiring Deshaun Watson from the Texans. Watson's uniform change explains Houston's inclusion in the odds, although the Texans might be inclined to give Davis Mills another look in 2022.
As for the Lions, well, they're a wild card in the QB market. They're rebuilding and already have a stopgap quarterback in Jared Goff, whom they acquired last offseason in the blockbuster that sent Matthew Stafford to the Rams. But perhaps Detroit will explore a change behind center while trying to establish a winning culture under head coach Dan Campbell.
All told, Garoppolo basically had one foot out the door back in February, as it's clear Lance is the future in San Francisco. But the circumstances have changed, largely due to outside factors, and sportsbooks must account for the possibility that Jimmy G doesn't get traded after all.
