NFL Rumors: Teams have legitimate concern about Jimmy Garoppolo's shoulder injury
It's almost the end of March, and Jimmy Garoppolo is still surprisingly the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. A series of surprising quarterback moves rocked the NFL world, but Garoppolo wasn't one of them. Interestingly, he was tipped to be the first to make a move elsewhere once the season concluded in late February.
Trade talks started even before the season kicked-off in September last year, with a host of teams ready to spend big on him. All eyes were on an in-form Jimmy G in 2021 before injuries derailed his preparations and upward trajectory. Since then, he's endured multiple serious injuries, leading to a dip in his trade value.
Cut to the 2022 offseason, the quarterback carousel is almost over. In a trade window that saw the likes of Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson, Matt Ryan and switch franchises, Garoppolo's lack of movement has raised a few eyebrows.
Jimmy Garoppolo's shoulder injury causing trade delay
The 49ers are in no rush to trade their star quarterback as coach Kyle Shanahan isn't quite confident that rookie Trey Lance will have the desired impact. Hence, the market for Garoppolo is slow. A recent ESPN report suggests that NFL teams have legitimate concerns about his return from a shoulder injury.
So why didn't the Colts go after Jimmy G?
Form what I was told, there were concerns over the shoulder injury. Not so much the medical side of it but the idea of missing time in the offseason with a new team. This was a red flag.
The 30-year-old quarterback suffered a shoulder injury during a Wild Card playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys. He later revealed that he also felt pain throughout the postseason on his right thumb before undergoing a surgery in February.
He said:
“Now I can say the truth. Every play, I feel it. But we made it through. I can’t believe this s**t held up, to be completely honest with you. The thumb, the shoulder. All of it. It was one thing after another. Every time I threw. It was a lot.”
Garoppolo is likely to be traded eventually, but will be sidelined until the training camp. Almost all the quarterback-needy teams have landed their desired leaders for the 2022 NFL season. The Pittsburgh Steelers, too, didn't waste any time and signed Mitch Trubisky despite reported interest in the 49ers quarterback.
Garoppolo carries a $24.2 million base salary, which could be a hassle for a few teams to consider. The 49ers are also looking at a lucrative offer before agreeing to trade Garoppolo. Teams like the Seattle Seahawks, Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans and the New York Giants have shown interest in the former New England Patriots star, but there are still multiple factors to evaluate before going all-in for an injury-prone quarterback.