There will be a few valuable and interesting quarterbacks available on the open market in March, and one of them will be San Francisco 49ers signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo.
He may not be as coveted as Derek Carr or Aaron Rodgers, the other two main QBs in that department, but he is a very good one who can elevate or at least stabilize a team.
NFL analyst Jeremy Fowler says the most natural fits for the veteran will be the Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons.
Video: “Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to be really number 3 in the pecking order behind Derek Carr and Aaron Rodgers in this quarterback carousel.”
“Natural fits for him are the Texans and Falcons.” pic.twitter.com/nupel3Uq90
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 24, 2023
With the emergence of Brock Purdy and the high potential of Trey Lance, it is almost a certainty that the 49ers will part ways with Garoppolo, if for no other reason than clearing enough salary cap resources to give Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa a long-term contract extension.
The 31-year-old has been one of the NFL’s winningest QBs over the last few years, and he put up 2,437 yards and 16 touchdown passes in 11 games this season before his year was cut short by a serious foot injury.
He also had the league’s third-highest passer rating at 103.0.
The Texans are building for the future, and perhaps Garoppolo could help groom their QB of the future while helping them be competitive in the meantime.
For good measure, DeMeco Ryans, the Niners’ defensive coordinator the last two seasons, was recently hired to be Houston’s new head coach.
The Falcons could be looking for an upgrade after former starter Marcus Mariota was benched late in the season.
They have a few offensive weapons, including wide receiver Drake London and running backs Cordarrelle Patterson and Tyler Allgeier, and perhaps a signal-caller such as Garoppolo could get them to the playoffs, especially in a weak NFC South.
