NFL Trade Rumors: San Francisco 49ers reassure Jimmy Garoppolo that he's their QB
Jimmy Garoppolo might be sitting on the edge of his seat after the most insane 25 minutes of the 2021 NFL offseason. The 49ers traded up for the third overall pick and sent the Dolphins the 12th overall pick. Not even 20 minutes later, the Dolphins traded back up to the sixth overall pick.
During the BYU pro day, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch announced that he called Jimmy Garoppolo to tell him about the trade. Lynch wanted to let Garoppolo know that he's still the team's quarterback in 2021.
Still, Lynch's presence at Zach Wilson's pro day suggests that the 49ers plan to draft a quarterback this year.
With that being said, is Jimmy Garoppolo really safe from being traded during the 2021 NFL offseason?
NFL Trade Rumors: Is Jimmy Garoppolo off the trade block?
The San Francisco 49ers have announced that Jimmy Garoppolo is aware of the team trading up, and the team has reassured him that he's San Francisco's quarterback in 2021. But how much truth is contained in that promise? The New England Patriots have seemingly been swarming around Garoppolo, waiting for the right moment to trade for him.
After the 49ers made their blockbuster trade on Friday, now might be the time for Bill Belichick to strike. Jimmy Garoppolo might not get traded Friday or even next week. But the NFL Draft is right around the corner. The validity of the idea that Jimmy Garoppolo will be the 49ers' starter in 2021 is certainly questionable at this point.
If the New York Jets pass on drafting Zach Wilson, the 49ers might grab him with the third overall pick. This outcome could be the final straw that sends Jimmy Garoppolo to another NFL team this offseason. If the 49ers do end up holding on to Jimmy Garoppolo for the 2021-2022 NFL season, it will be probably be his last year with the team.
Before they made this blockbuster trade, the San Francisco 49ers knew that the 2021 NFL Draft has four or five quarterbacks who can turn a franchise around. This amount of talent at the quarterback position may not come around again for several years.
After Zach Wilson's pro day, he has turned a lot of heads, and the New York Jets will now have a number of teams calling about the second overall pick. Several other quarterbacks will likely get drafted in the opening round, too.
Either way, Jimmy Garoppolo is safe at the moment. If NFL teams start to show a notable amount of interest in the second overall pick, fans could potentially see the 49ers throw the kitchen sink at the Jets to move up one more spot. In that case, Garoppolo's days in San Francisco could be numbered.