What if the 49ers decide to keep Jimmy Garoppolo for another season?

What Happens If The 49ers Keep Jimmy Garoppolo For One More Season?

There’s a good chance Jimmy Garoppolo will return to the San Francisco 49ers for another season.

With the San Francisco 49ers having no intention of cutting starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, there’s a good chance he’ll finish out his contract with the NFC West team.

The 49ers are in the final year of Garoppolo’s deal. Despite the fact that releasing or trading Garoppolo would only result in a $1.4 million dead cap charge, 49ers general manager John Lynch has little interest in doing so without some sort of compensation. Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers’ head coach, thinks there is a “scenario” in which Garoppolo returns to the team next season.

Last spring, the 49ers traded up to No. 3 in the draft to select North Dakota State’s Trey Lance. What would this situation look like if Garoppolo stayed with the 49ers for one more season in 2022?

One day after 49ers’ GM John Lynch said the team had no plans to release QB Jimmy Garoppolo, HC Kyle Shanahan said there’s a “scenario” in which Garoppolo does remain in San Francisco for the upcoming season.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 29, 2022

San Francisco 49ers’ plans if they end up keeping Jimmy Garoppolo for 2022

If the 49ers decide to keep Garoppolo next season, he will be the team’s starting quarterback once again. Garoppolo’s backup would be Lance unless he was traded in the middle of the season, was hurt, or was displaced by him on the depth chart.

With Garoppolo, the 49ers can win the division and make the playoffs next season. There are certain benefits to this decision as well.

Because former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is now the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Lance may find it more difficult to get ahead of Garoppolo on the depth chart immediately.

Although this is still Shanahan’s club, McDaniel’s contributions to the ground game and general offensive innovation cannot be overlooked. In any case, Garoppolo is more experienced in Shanahan’s offense.

Garoppolo might be dealt before the 2022 NFL Draft, but it’s more likely that he’ll be dealt during training camp.

Unfortunately, a serious injury to a starting quarterback will occur during the preseason, and desperate times call for desperate measures. In that case, Garoppolo’s trade value will rise, as the 49ers will be able to recoup some of the draft money for 2023.

There are far worse things in life than Garoppolo’s finishing his deal with the 49ers.