We're getting to the Jimmy Garoppolo/Baker Mayfield portion of the crazy quarterback carousel of 2022 and at this point the 49ers have been left holding the bag.
Garoppolo has a bum right shoulder and is coming off surgery. Mayfield has a bum left shoulder and is coming off surgery, not to mention wounded pride from being replaced in Cleveland by Deshaun Watson. Neither will be healthy enough to fully participate in the offseason, potential destinations are dwindling and they won't be a factor in defining next season's NFL.
Both will eventually find homes, as Marcus Mariota (Atlanta) and Jameis Winston (New Orleans) did Monday. That won't change the likelihood that there are a dozen teams with a quarterback who can deliver a win in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Ariz., and just as important, have the supporting cast to help make it happen.
You're not going to find the 49ers' Trey Lance on this list. While Lance rates a better shot than the other first-round quarterbacks in his draft class (Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Mac Jones), the 49ers' offseason has been a snoozer for the most part. I also have concerns about whether what Deebo Samuel did a year ago is sustainable health-wise, as well as George Kittle's penchant for injury. Injuries just seem to follow the 49ers around.
A look at 12 quarterbacks who could be gracing commercial breaks during March Madness with their presence a year from now, based on their championship status:
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Had one of the truly great under-the-radar seasons in NFL history a year ago and the gold standard in terms of a passer who can also run (4,407 yards passing, 36 TDs, 763 yards rushing, six touchdowns). Solid offseason acquisitions for the Bills included guard Rodger Saffold, tight end O.J. Howard and pass rusher Von Miller.
2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs added JuJu Smith-Schuster to an offense that already has Tyreek HIll and Travis Kelce. Still trying to figure out what happened to Mahomes in the second half of the AFC title game loss to the Bengals, but am going to assume it was just a bad day.
3. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Had the Bucs on the verge of a miraculous comeback in the title game against the Rams until they got Cooper Kupp-ed. One concern — Brady lost both of his starting guards, Ali Marpet to a surprise retirement and Alex Cappa to free agency.
4. Matthew Stafford, L.A. Rams
You'll notice the Nos. 3 and 4 quarterbacks on this list were acquired specifically with the idea of making a good team a great one by their mere presence, and both delivered Super Bowl championships. Why draft and develop when you can fill football's most important position with a trade?
5. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals signed La'el Collins and Cappa to upgrade the line that saw Burrow get sacked 51 times take a beating in the postseason. If Cincinnati gets its protection shored up, Burrow can put up much bigger numbers than last year's 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns. He's that good.
6. Justin Herbert, L.A. Chargers
Wide receiver Mike Williams was retained with a three-year contract extension, but offense wasn't the Chargers' problem. Watch how much better Herbert gets in terms of the bottom line if free agent cornerback J.C. Jackson lives up to his contract and with Khalil Mack as a bookend pass rusher to go along with Joey Bosa.
7. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Rodgers played poorly in the playoff loss to the 49ers and his penchant for being overly dramatic is wearing thin. He's also without Davante Adams, dealt to the Raiders. But he's won back-to-back Most Valuable Player awards and he's going to the Hall of Fame, so he can't be counted out.
8,. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
This one could go either way. But the guess here is Wilson regains his touch with Nathaniel Hackett running the offense and makes the Broncos a viable playoff contender in the quarterback-rich AFC West.
9. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders
Helped coax his longtime Fresno State friend Adams to Las Vegas in a deal that instantly makes the Raiders potentially something special on offense. With Adams, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow, Carr's red zone issues should be a thing of the past if the Raiders can protect him.
10. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
Yes, he could be suspended and it's more than a little distasteful so many teams were willing to overlook 22 civil suits to throw bags of money at one of the NFL's dynamic talents. But if the guy is getting $230 million guaranteed, a lot of people will overlook his indiscretions and he'll be the biggest thing in Cleveland since LeBron James.
11. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Should be good for another 4,449 yards passing and 37 touchdowns for the Cowboys. Still perplexed by the sight of Prescott running the ball up the middle and running out the clock against the 49ers in the playoffs, but that doesn't change the fact he's among the elite of the suddenly quarterback-thin NFC.
12. Matt Ryan, Indianapolis Colts
Atlanta's whiff with Watson turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to Ryan. He joins a far superior Colts team that has a great lead back in Jonathan Taylor, solid receivers and a good defense. In terms of decision-making and stability, a huge upgrade over Carson Wentz on a team that's ready to win.
