After a long offseason of looking to trade Jimmy Garoppolo, the 49ers signed him to a restructured one-year deal in August. However, it appears that one rival team was looking to make a move for him.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Rams were interested in signing Garoppolo to make him Matthew Stafford’s backup in the event that the 49ers released him. San Francisco didn’t learn about Los Angeles’s interest until after they agreed with Garoppolo on a one-year deal worth up to $16 million.
“It was going to be such a Rams move to make,” a member of the 49ers organization told ESPN. “Sean McVay and Kevin Demoff would have been basking in it.”
Garoppolo underwent shoulder surgery in March and John Lynch, the team’s general manager, told reporters on March 28 that the surgery and recovery timeline ultimately gave possible trade partners pause when the team was looking for suitors.
Despite not being able to find a trade partner, Lynch was clear that the 49ers would not release Garoppolo. After failing to find a trade partner, they made him the highest-paid backup in the NFL this season. In 2021, Garoppolo threw for 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 15 games played.
