Every quarterback injury has at least some significance to the 49ers and backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. That’s especially true for teams that expect to contend for a playoff spot, which is why it makes sense that Garoppolo would be connected to the Dallas Cowboys following Dak Prescott’s thumb fracture that will keep him out six-to-eight weeks.
The Cowboys have said they’re comfortable rolling with backup QB Cooper Rush as their starter, but it wouldn’t be surprising if they at least made an inquiry about Garoppolo. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said they’ll listen if Dallas calls.
“Just like all players, we’ll listen to anybody on anything,” Shanahan. said. “That never changes for any player or coach, so we’ll always listen to anybody.”
This answer matches the gist of others Shanahan has given over the years to trade-related questions.
It’s clear the 49ers would listen if Dallas called about Garoppolo, but they’d also not give him away. The Cowboys’ offer would need to be extremely compelling to get the 49ers to move off of their backup signal caller.
Whether the Cowboys even call San Francisco is another story. Perhaps they are actually comfortable moving forward with Rush, who went 7-of-13 for 64 yards in relief of Prescott on Sunday night. He’s been with Dallas since 2017 and in 11 games with one start (a road win in Minnesota last season) he’s posted a 60.3 percent completion rate with 488 yards, three touchdowns and one interception on 63 attempts.
The 49ers would surely love to get a first or second-round pick in exchange for Garoppolo, but that’s a sizable investment for Dallas to bring in a QB for a a couple months of starts. If they do call though, San Francisco would, as always, listen.
