Could Jimmy Garoppolo stick with the San Francisco 49ers even though they've clearly moved on to Trey Lance?
A trade would likely be the best option for the 49ers, but if they can't find a suitor for the quarterback who led them to the Super Bowl just a few short seasons ago -- a cut may make the most sense.
In fact, according to a report, there is a mutual understanding between Garoppolo and the 49ers that the quarterback is "just biding his time" before he's released.
While at face value it would make sense for the 49ers to keep Garoppolo as an A+ backup quarterback option, keep in mind releasing him does make financial sense. If the 49ers cut Garoppolo they'll save a whopping $24.95 million against the cap this season. He's expected to make $26.95 million, but cutting him would result in a dead cap hit of only $2 million, per Spotrac.
With that in mind, it's not surprising to hear that general manager John Lynch can see a cut in the near future.
John Lynch had a long answer when Tom Tolbert asked him on KNBR what the timeline looks like for when the 49ers would release Jimmy Garoppolo if there's no trade. However, his first words were, "Yeah, you know I think we're getting pretty close."
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) August 23, 2022
If Garoppolo is cut and hits the free agent market, one would think he'll be immediately snatched up by a quarterback-hungry team looking for a player who potentially could lead them to a Super Bowl...and we know Jimmy G can do at least that.
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