Top candidates to potentially replace Jimmy G as 49ers' QB
Editor's note: This story originally was published on Oct. 16 and has been slightly edited since to update notable stats and information.The 49ers desperately want things to work out with Jimmy Garoppolo. It would be best for both sides if it did. But after the way the current season has started, there's no denying that Jimmy G's seat is getting hotter and hotter.Garoppolo is now out indefinitely as he nurses his high ankle sprain, and the 49ers' 2020 season quickly appears to be headed south.Garoppolo's contract is constructed in such a way that it's essentially year-to-year. Though he is signed through the 2022 season, the 49ers can move on from him this coming offseason while incurring just $2.8 million in dead money. If San Francisco believes it can find a better alternative, this could be Garoppolo's final season in a 49ers uniform.Obviously, the 49ers are hoping Jimmy G can regain the form that led them to the Super Bowl last season, and soon. But if they have to go quarterback shopping in the offseason, there are several intriguing candidates they could consider.
While Ryan hasn't been great by any means this season, he's not the reason the Falcons are struggling. The Falcons already have begun a rebuilding phase with the firing of coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff, and Ryan might be the next big name on his way out.
At 35 years old, Ryan's best days are behind him, but he's still an above-average QB. And if there's anyone that can raise his play, it's probably 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who served as his offensive coordinator for two seasons, including Ryan's MVP season in 2016.
Ryan is under contract through the 2023 season, but he carries a considerably higher cap hit than Garoppolo does. So, if the 49ers want to go with Ryan, they'd likely have to cut costs elsewhere, in addition to the price it would take to acquire him from the Falcons. However, Shanahan might believe he's worth all that.
Like Ryan, it wouldn't be surprising if Shanahan had his eye on Cousins. That was the rumor not too long ago, after all. Shanahan previously served as Cousins' offensive coordinator for two seasons, and his high opinion of the current Minnesota Vikings quarterback isn't exactly a well-kept secret.
Cousins, like Garoppolo, is under contract through the 2022 season, but his deal isn't nearly as team-friendly, and there's no chance Minnesota cuts him. So, the 49ers would need to trade for Cousins to acquire him. However, given that Cousins' cap number increases to $31 million next season and $45 million in 2022, the financials might prove prohibitive.
The No. 1 overall pick of the 2009 NFL draft has been stuck in Detroit ever since, and it would be tough to blame Stafford if he was looking for a better situation. The 49ers definitely would qualify, and from a financial standpoint, they absolutely could make it work.
Stafford, 32, is under contract through 2023, but his cap number is astoundingly reasonable. It descends from $33 million in 2021 to $26 million in 2022 and finally to just $3 million in 2023. He'll likely get a considerable raise via a contract extension before that point, but it doesn't necessarily have to come from the Lions.
Would Detroit accept Jimmy G as the centerpiece of a Stafford trade package? Lions coach Matt Patricia knows Garoppolo well from their time together in New England.
It's not out of the question ...
Cam Newton and the Patriots haven't lived up to expectations, but the QB's early-season success has shown he still has something left in the tank.
Unlike Ryan, Cousins and Stafford, Newton isn't under contract beyond the current season. He will become an unrestricted free agent at the start of the offseason, so it wouldn't cost the 49ers anything to bring him in, other than his salary. Considering they'd only be forced to eat such a small amount in dead money by cutting Garoppolo, San Francisco would be able to afford it.
Shanahan tends to favor pocket-passers over mobile quarterbacks, but given the way the league is trending, perhaps he might consider pivoting.
Of all the players on this list, Rodgers is the most unlikely to play quarterback for the 49ers next season. The odds are tremendously against it, but there is a route to it happening.
Rodgers, 37, currently is in the third year of a lucrative four-year contract extension and is owed a $6.8 million roster bonus on March 19, 2021. If the situation between Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers proves untenable by that point -- remember, they just drafted his future replacement, Jordan Love, in the first round -- they could move on from Rodgers while incurring $31.5 million in dead money. Given Love's $2.8 million cap hit, however, the Packers likely would be able to afford it.
With the Packers playing well, it would seem like things would have to take a considerable turn for the worse for Rodgers to want out. But if that does end up happening, the Packers surely would attempt to trade Rodgers and get something for him in return, rather than cutting him.
He would cost the 49ers a pretty penny -- and then some. But he's arguably the best quarterback in NFL history, and clearly, he's still one of the best in the game. Still, don't count on Rodgers being under center for San Francisco in 2021.
2022, though? Now that's a whole different story ...
There are numerous veteran QBs the 49ers could look into, but what if they went young? Between Haskins and Darnold, there likely will be at least two recent first-round picks that should be available for cheap this offseason, and while there's a reason for that, there's also a reason they were drafted as high as they were.
It seems extremely unlikely the 49ers would jettison Garoppolo only to hand the keys over to a reclamation project, but it doesn't necessarily have to be a 1-for-1 situation. Perhaps San Francisco would consider bringing in an additional veteran QB to provide depth.
Shanahan has been known to get the most out of his quarterbacks. If he thinks Haskins, Darnold or another young QB has the right stuff, he might be willing to take the gamble.
The bad news is the 49ers have plenty of uncertainty at the quarterback position. The good news is, this isn't the worst season for that to happen -- at least as it pertains to the NFL draft.
If San Francisco's season continues to spiral downward -- and it looks like it will thanks to injuries to Garoppolo and George Kittle -- the 49ers could be picking fairly high in the 2021 draft. And it just so happens that there are a few quarterback prospects who might go in that range.
Clemson's Trevor Lawrence is regarded as a generational talent, though Ohio State's Justin Fields could give him a run for his money to be the first QB off the board. Then there's North Dakota State's Trey Lance, who some believe is better than both of them. Florida's Kyle Trask has been shooting up draft boards and likely will be a first-round pick.
If Shanahan identifies any of them as the 49ers' quarterback of the future, that future could begin as soon as next season.
