A former NFL executive suggests that the Seattle Seahawks want San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
With the last preseason games ending this weekend, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo remains on the San Francisco 49ers. The team officially moved on with Trey Lance as their starter, and allowed Jimmy Garoppolo to seek a trade. Nothing has transpired. But could something be on the horizon?
In his latest episode of “The GM Shuffle” podcast, former NFL executive Michael Lombardi suggested that the Seattle Seahawks are “very interested” in Garoppolo and that the 49ers won’t cut him right now because they don’t want him to go to the division rival.
“I keep asking teams all the time, why don’t they just cut Jimmy G now? And the answer that I got back from multiple teams is ‘they don’t want him to go to Seattle’,” Lombardi said, h/t 95.7 The Game. “I said, ‘Well how interested is Seattle in Jimmy G?’ And (one source) said ‘Oh, they’re very interested in him.’ So for all the talk about Geno, for all the talk about Drew Lock, I think Seattle knows they’re going to get Jimmy G. And I think San Francisco knows that he could go there. So they’re trying everything in their power to prevent that, and they have no takers.
“So what I think will happen is the Friday before the opening weekend, I think they’ll cut Jimmy G. I think that’s when they’ll cut him, and then he’ll have to go do his contract and go up to Seattle and go there. But there is no interest in allowing Seattle to have even a week of preparation with Jimmy G to come in as their starting quarterback. But I do believe, reliably reported to me, that Seattle is the team that wants him.”
Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi suggest Seahawks want Jimmy Garoppolo
Lombardi expressed his belief that the 49ers will wait until the Friday before the season opening weekend to release Garoppolo so that if he does go to Seattle, he won’t be ready for the rivals’ Week 2 matchup.
When it comes to the quarterback situations across the NFL, the Seahawks have a need on paper. After trading Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos, Seattle has Geno Smith and Drew Lock competing in a quarterback battle this summer. In fact, head coach Pete Carroll seemed to suggest this past week that they “may have two number ones” at quarterback.
Garoppolo is heading into the final season of his five-year, $137.5 million contract with the 49ers. According to Spotrac, the 49ers can save $24.95 million in cap space if they are to release him.
Last year, Garoppolo completed 68.3-percent of his passes for 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 15 regular-season games. In the 49ers’ run to the NFC Championship Game, Garoppolo threw for 535 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions while completing 58.1-percent of his passes in the three games agains the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and Los Angeles Rams.
When it comes to where Garoppolo will play in 2022, Lombardi is saying to keep your eyes on the Seahawks.
