NEWSLETTER
The Jets seems to have avoided a disastrous scenario with Zach Wilson’s preseason injury, and the Browns might be getting Deshaun Watson back this season, which means that the two latest potential suitors for 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo might be out of the market for his services.
Jets Get Good News on Wilson, Not Interested in Garoppolo
Zach Wilson underwent surgery on Tuesday to address a bone bruise and a meniscus tear and is expected to miss 2-4 weeks. With Wilson slated to make an early-season debut, Ian Rapoport has the Jets out of the market for a replacement quarterback, specifically, 49ers signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo.
With the Jets confident in Wilson being back soon, they’re going to roll with veteran quarterback Joe Flacco in the interim, which sets up a fun matchup in Week 1: Joe Flacco vs. Lamar Jackson.
Still, if the Jets are out on a potential Garoppolo trade, I’m pretty interested to see where this takes us on the Garoppolo front.
Latest on Deshaun Watson
One Possible place destination for Jimmy Garoppolo could be Cleveland. With the NFL looking to increase Watson’s suspension to at least one season, the Browns might be in the market for a quarterback to start for them in 2022.
Mary Kay Cabot reported last week that there might be a possibility that the Browns would trade for Garoppolo if Watson’s suspension was increased from six games.
Unless, of course, the NFL and Deshaun Watson reach a settlement that would have him on the field at some point in 2022. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported this morning that a source told her that Watson’s camp and the NFL are in active discussions to make that possible.
According to Cabot (the story is behind a paywall), “Watson’s camp is actively negotiating a settlement on his discipline under the personal conduct policy with the NFL, and a deal could be reached soon that gets him on the field this season, a league source tells cleveland.com.”
Watson made it known last week that he’d accept an eight-game suspension and a $5 million fine, according to the Associated Press. According to Cabot, before Sue L. Robinson imposed a six-game suspension on Watson for numerous counts of sexual misconduct, the NFL was unwilling to settle for anything less than a 12-game suspension and an $8 million fine.
If the two sides are indeed actively negotiating, Cabot’s reporting has the two sides not all that far apart. Perhaps we see Watson and the NFL settle somewhere in the middle with a 10-game suspension and a $6-7 million fine, which would still be a ridiculously light punishment for the alleged charges, but we know how this goes.
If the two sides do come to an agreement, I could see the Browns roll with Jacoby Brisset in the interim rather than trading for an established NFL starter like Jimmy Garoppolo.
In which case, that again begs the question:
Where Will Garoppolo Land?
So, the Jets are out on Garoppolo, and the Browns might be out (if Watson is able to play in 2022), and now I’m scratching my head this morning wondering where the heck Jimmy Garoppolo might fit this season.
San Francisco has moved on; Trey Lance is their starter. Garoppolo could remain on the roster for the time being, but he would be a pricey backup (and probably not a willing one) for the 49ers. Garoppolo is slated to make $25.6 million this season. While it’s not impossible to imagine the 49ers entering the season with Garoppolo in tow, waiting for an injury to hit a team, and then taking advantage of their desperation, that seems like an outside shot.
But who’s in the market for a new starting quarterback with just weeks separating us from Week 1?
The New York Giants jump out at me immediately as a team that might be interested in his services. Daniel Jones is not very good, and he’s likely playing out his final season in New York anyways. Going through each team in the league, everyone seems set with their plans under center for this season. Or, at least to the point where they wouldn’t give up assets to acquire Garropolo from the 49ers at this point.
With just a few weeks to opening day, we might see the 49ers cut Garoppolo. That changes things a bit. If Garoppolo ends up being a free agent and only costs a team money, then maybe we see a team like the Browns consider signing him to a one-year deal to bridge them through the Watson absence. Perhaps a team like Miami decides they’d like a nice insurance policy in place behind Tua after they went on an offseason spending spree and expect to win.
It’ll be an interesting situation to monitor.
