49ers Still Considering Tom Brady Over Jimmy Garoppolo?
Are the 49ers still considering Tom Brady over Jimmy Garoppolo?
Brady, 42, is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Seeing as he is from the Bay Area and has expressed a desire to perhaps leave the New England Patriots, many have wondered whether he may have interest in the Niners.
These questions got louder after Garoppolo and head coach Kyle Shanahan choked away Super Bowl LIV to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
A big reason why San Francisco ultimately lost to Kansas City in the big game was Shanahan’s conservative playcalling early and late. And a big reason why the playcalling was so conservative is because he simply had zero faith in Garoppolo.
New column: Five Moves series starts with five moves each team in the NFC West should be focusing on this off-season, including why the 49ers should at least wonder about adding a Hall of Fame QB (no, not Taysom Hill) https://t.co/PptNz5Ds1t
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) February 11, 2020
Recently, a group of NFL.com insiders ranked all 57 quarterbacks that played last year.
According to them, Garoppolo was ranked No. 15. He came in behind guys like Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill who came in at number six, the Minnesota Vikings’ Kirk Cousins and Matthew Stafford who were tied at number eight and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz who came in at number ten.
Interestingly enough, Garoppolo also came in behind Brady.
This past season Garoppolo recorded 27 touchdowns, 13 picks and 3,978 yards through the air, as well as 62 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Beyond that, he also fumbled the ball five times and completed 69.1 percent of his passes.
Garoppolo was noticeably better in the second half of the season after the 49ers acquired Emmanuel Sanders for him to throw to, but he was still nothing all that special.
Recently, ESPN NFL insider Bill Barnwell pondered a scenario where Brady goes to the Niners. He described the situation as unlikely, but “tantalizing.”
Barnwell went on to propose a trade that would send Garoppolo and San Francisco’s 31st overall pick in the draft to the Patriots, in return for New England’s No. 23 selection and their No. 85 selection.
Brady, of course, would simply come over and sign – as he is an unrestricted free agent.
To date, everyone has prefaced their Brady-for-Garoppolo scenarios with the warning that any change is extremely unlikely.
That said, the same thing was always brought up when the prospect of Brady leaving New England was mentioned.
Things change quickly in the NFL. Things are unlikely right up until the moment that they are not.
The reason Brady and Garoppolo switching teams has been mentioned so much over the past month is because it genuinely makes sense.
Will it happen? It is impossible to say. Can it happen? Absolutely.
Related: Panthers Make Surprising Cam Newton Comments
Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
