© Kirby Lee | 2020 Jan 19
Until Jimmy Garoppolo wins the big one, this is never going to end is it?
On the heels of an offseason where the 49ers considered replacing Jimmy Garoppolo with Tom Brady, and ultimately elected to stand pat, a new challenger to his job as emerged. Aaron Rodgers, who San Francisco famously did not draft in 2005, is reportedly unhappy with the way things are going in Green Bay, and will not finish his career there according to, of all people, Brett Favre.
With Garoppolo easily moveable after this year, the 49ers couldn’t possibly think about swapping out Jimmy for the future Hall of Famer, could they? That’s what Brian Murphy asked Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on Friday’s “Murph and Mac Show.”
Murph: “Would you in your sniff test, would you start thinking about linking Rodgers to the Niners in 2021?”
Florio: “Absolutely, absolutely. Why wouldn’t you? If you’re a 49ers fan, why wouldn’t you at least want to entertain that? Look people reacted very violently at times to the idea that the 49ers should consider Tom Brady as a potential upgrade to Jimmy Garoppolo and ultimately they didn’t, but you know what after this year all bets are off potentially.
“Let’s say the 49ers get close again, and the one thing that’s missing is the quarterback that could make the big throw in the big spot like we saw or didn’t see when Emmanuel Sanders was open on that play at the 49-yard line, with 100 seconds left in the Super Bowl. Rodgers makes that throw, Tom Brady makes that throw, there’s a handful of guys that make that throw. Jimmy G had a chance to make that throw and he didn’t.
“I think that’s going to continue to linger with Kyle until Jimmy G shows he can make that big time throw. At this point I think you keep all options open, you sit back and monitor.”
Though a trade would be far more likely, Garoppolo could be easily cut next season with no guaranteed money left on his deal if the 49ers determined that was required. Rodgers is under contract until through 2023, but is first-round pick Jordan Love really going to ride the bench for the next four seasons?
None of this is fair to Garoppolo, who only took the 49ers to the Super Bowl in his first full year as a starter, coming off ACL surgery no less. But the 49ers championship window is open now. Until Jimmy G silences the doubters, conversations like this are going to be ever present.
Listen to the full interview below.