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When it comes to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, the 49ers have a handful of nothings. That doesn’t stop them from bluffing.
Owner Jed York recently hinted that the 49ers would like to keep Garoppolo and his $24.2 million salary, which is fully guaranteed (for convenience) on September 10 at 4:00 p.m. ET.
The goal is obvious. York wants to discourage potentially interested teams from thinking that they’ll just have to wait and that Garoppolo will eventually release.
To get him, you must trade against him. That’s the message.
Of course, that’s only part of the equation. Anyone who acts for Garoppolo must also reach a financial agreement with him. No one is going to pay him $24.2 million, aside from the kind of desperation that would ensue from suddenly losing the starting quarterback for the season. Therefore, he has to accept less to make a trade possible.
His best option might be to sit and wait.
Would the 49ers allow base pay to be guaranteed by keeping it after September 10? They would still have the option to trade him through Tuesday after week eight if/when a starter suffers a season-ending injury. (He would also become a potential insurance policy in the event event starter Trey Lance is injured. Assuming Garoppolo answers all of the team’s calls or texts.)
A reasonable argument was made for Garoppolo to accept less money to end up with a new team and perform well enough to land a solid deal in free agency. The counter is simple. Why would you turn down an opportunity to make $24.2 million because you don’t gamble? There’s not much he can do on the field in 2022 to improve his standing for 2023. Last time we saw him, he was leading the 49ers to the brink of the Super Bowl. A year off didn’t hurt Deshaun Watson. Why would it harm Garoppolo?
So if the 49ers are willing to continue this journey beyond September 10 to a nonexistent house in the Hamptons with two tanning beds and horses named Snoopy and Prickly Pete, Garoppolo should be happy to make the journey. And at that point, he should refuse to take a dime below $24.2 million to facilitate a trade.