49ers, Garoppolo could part ways after 2020
San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to miss up to six weeks after re-injuring his high ankle sprain against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
The 49ers are expected to place Garoppolo on the injured reserve list, but there is speculation Garoppolo could be done for the 2020 season. Regardless of whether Garoppolo plays again in 2020 or not, the 49ers will have a big decision to make regarding their quarterback moving forward into the 2021 season.
On the field, Garoppolo has thrown for 1,096 yards with seven touchdown passes and five interceptions while completing 67 percent of his passes and averaging 7.8 yards per attempt in 2020. Many San Francisco fans say Garoppolo’s up-and-down performances in 2020 is similar to his performance in Super Bowl 54, where he was inconsistent and faded late in the loss to Kansas City.
Garoppolo has been slowed by the ankle injury he sustained in Week 2 and caused him to miss Weeks 3 and 4. He returned and looked awful in the 49ers’ 43-17 Week 5 loss to the Miami Dolphins,
throwing for 77 yards and two interceptions before being benched at halftime.
Garoppolo produced his best performance of the season against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 6, throwing for 268 yards and three touchdowns in the 24-16 win. The 49ers didn’t need much from Garoppolo during their 33-6 win at New England in Week 7, but he threw for just 84 yards with an interception before exiting the game in the fourth quarter in the 37-27 loss to the Seahawks.
Garoppolo’s ankle injury has affected his performances, but there is evidence that he has regressed in 2020 compared to 2019.
The 49ers could easily move on from Garoppolo in 2021. Garoppolo is on the books for a non-guaranteed $25.5 million in 2021 and $25.6 million in 2022. However, they could cut Garoppolo and only face a dead cap hit of $2.8 million in 2021 and $1.4 million in 2022.
Releasing Garoppolo ahead of the 2021 season would create a lot of uncertainty on a team that reached Super Bowl 54 and is built to win now. And who could the 49ers potentially look to replace Garoppolo in 2021?
The 49ers could look to acquire Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan. San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan was the Falcons’ offensive coordinator when the team and Ryan reached Super Bowl 51. Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback Kirk Cousins might be available. Shanahan worked with Cousins when the two were in Washington. In addition, given the surprising success of rookie quarterbacks Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow, perhaps the 49ers would look to the 2021 NFL draft.
The 49ers could opt to retain Garoppolo and hope he can remain healthy and improve in 2021. They have plenty of options and time to make their decision.