Is Re-Signing Jimmy Garoppolo Back on the Table for the 49ers?
Brock Purdy could potentially miss most if not all of training camp. This puts more pressure on the 49ers to go out and sign a veteran quarterback in free agency. It can't be someone who just acts as a filler for depth. Whoever they bring in has to have been a starter for a stretch who can fit Kyle Shanahan's offense.
Having Trey Lance as the only sufficient starter just won't cut it. Even if Purdy does come back in time to get some practices in training camp, the 49ers should still find a contingency for their two rostered quarterbacks. The season cannot be derailed because of a lack of quality at quarterback. There is one player who the 49ers could find interest in, and it won't be hard for them to envision how he'll fit.
I'm talking about Jimmy Garoppolo. Shanahan at his exit press conference says he doesn't see "any scenario" where Garoppolo returns, but things have changed. The words he said always left him a way out as he didn't burn any bridges with them. I would also suspect Garoppolo struggles initially to find suitors in free agency, so perhaps the 49ers are once again his best bet.
So, is re-signing Garoppolo back on the table for the 49ers?
That ship has sailed. I think the 49ers are finally over the Garoppolo experience. Time to put him in the past. It should've been done long ago by the 49ers, but they continually stick with him like a toxic relationship. Flip the page to a new era. Quarterbacks such as Jacoby Brissett, Andy Dalton, or even Baker Mayfield would make for fine additions to the team. They will have options to look at in free agency.
Best part about all of those quarterbacks is the 49ers don't have to worry about their injury history. These players pale in comparison to Garoppolo when it comes to injuries for the length of their careers. The 49ers need a player who has been a starter for a stretch in their careers and a fit in their offense, that is extremely important. But what is of the utmost importance, is the health of the quarterbacks they bring in.
Re-signing Garoppolo, an injury prone player fresh off a broken foot, to back up two other quarterbacks fresh off their own injuries is ridiculous. It's malpractice. Garoppolo is done with the 49ers. The conviction in Shanahan's reply ruling out a Garoppolo return was not fake. He meant it, despite not having the bass in his voice to amplify it. You could still feel his conviction without it. The delay for Purdy's surgery isn't enough for them to reconsider bringing him back. They are done and moving on finally.
Like Vince Carter said in the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk contest, "It's over!"
