2021 NFL Draft: Five quarterbacks who could now be on the move

Jimmy Garoppolo

Once the San Francisco 49ers made the jump up the third selection in the 2021 NFL Draft talks ramped up for what could happen to Jimmy Garoppolo. Initial thoughts pointed to a reunion between Garoppolo and the New England Patriots, but the selection of Mac Jones seems to rule that option out. For now, Garoppolo remains with the 49ers and will battle with No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance for the starting gig.

Now, it’s no question that Kyle Shanahan runs one of the more complex offensive systems that has ate up and spit out rookie quarterbacks in the past. See the 2014 Cleveland Browns and Johnny Manziel for an example. Luckily, Lance is leaps and bounds above Manziel in terms of fit, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be a learning curve.

Keeping Garoppolo gives Lance time to learn the system and ease into the situation, similar to how the Chiefs traded up for Patrick Mahomes and then let him sit for a year behind Alex Smith. The catch is that Garoppolo has another year after this one left on his deal and it isn’t exactly cheap at a $27 million cap hit.

While Garoppolo could remain on the 49ers for this season, the presence of Lance will be pushing the envelope on a move from the front office. Like Smith, Garoppolo could be dealt soon after the conclusion of the season or even before if Lance makes a strong impression as the season develops. With the addition of having one year left on his deal after this one, Garoppolo could fall into the Andy Dalton, Teddy Bridgewater role of changing teams every year while trying to cling to a starting job.