The San Francisco 49ers look like one of the few legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the NFC. They are loaded on both sides of the ball, but even as they prepare for what is hopefully a long playoff run, there are some people within the organization keeping an eye toward the future because there are some question marks. Obviously, a big question is what to do with Jimmy Garoppolo, who is expected to receive interest from many teams including the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints.
The 49ers spent all offseason rebuilding the game plan around the skill set of Trey Lance, which was on the opposite end of the spectrum from what they did with Jimmy Garoppolo under center. It seemed like a foregone conclusion that Garoppolo would be traded, but he underwent shoulder surgery in the offseason that diminished his trade market.
The 49ers ended up restructuring his contract and they were lucky that occurred because Garoppolo was back under center in Week 2 when Lance went down with an injury. He has been the starter since and has played well, taking advantage of the abundance of weapons the 49ers have and not turning the ball over.
Given how well he is playing, and his previous success, it is easy to imagine Garoppolo moving on in free agency in 2023. There are plenty of teams that are going to have openings at the starting quarterback spot that Garoppolo would be seen as a sizable improvement.
According to NFL Rumors on Twitter, his potential suitors are already coming to light. The New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, and New York Jets were all mentioned as potential landing spots.
The Saints and Colts have disappointed this season in large part because of their struggles at the quarterback position. Garoppolo would give the teams some much-needed stability at the most important position in the league.
The Texans are heading toward being the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. It would be surprising if they don’t use that pick on a quarterback, but if they landed Garoppolo, they would use that selection to upgrade another area of the roster.
New York’s interest is somewhat surprising as they have Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Wilson has already been benched in favor of Mike White, who could cement his status as the team’s starter depending on how he plays in the coming weeks. If he handles himself well, the Jets won’t need to spend in free agency on a quarterback.
