One Consequence That the 49ers Face Exploring Upgrades From Jimmy Garoppolo
This offseason is going to be an extremely long one for the 49ers.
The Super Bowl hasn't even been played yet and the 49ers are already dealing with new quarterback rumors everyday. Just wait until the month of March gets closer as well as the NFL draft. All of the rumors of the 49ers having interest carry weight to a certain degree.
And if you're Jimmy Garoppolo, this is the second consecutive offseason where you're hearing about being replaced. That definitely isn't going to go well with him, especially since the 49ers tapped on the Lions' shoulder regarding a trade for Matthew Stafford. You can bet your bottom dollar that the 49ers will continue to explore their options at upgrading the quarterback position.
However, by doing so they are playing with fire. There is one consequence that the 49ers face exploring upgrades from Garoppolo. That consequence is a fractured relationship. Like I said at the beginning of this article, the Super Bowl hasn't been played yet and all you hear is the 49ers having interest in quarterback rumors.
Now imagine if the 49ers do not end up finding that upgrade and are stuck with Garoppolo in 2021. That is a reality that I have held firm even before the 2020 season ended. When training camp rolls around, there is no doubt he is going to feel some disdain towards the 49ers.
As a matter of fact, he probably does already.
During his exit press conference, there were multiple times where Garoppolo mentioned that he can't wait to "attack this offseason." I wrote a takeaways article from that day and interpreted his comments as the criticism finally getting to him. That he hears what everyone, including his own team, are saying and feeling about him.
There are exit meetings that the players have with the coaches and I am sure Kyle Shanahan fed him a blunt truth about where Garoppolo stands. Shanahan is not afraid to mince words. That is why Dante Pettis couldn't hack it. If Garoppolo does end up remaining the starter in 2021, then we are going to find out if he can hack it.
Will he play in spite of the 49ers?
Or is his talk of "attacking the offseason" cheap?
Attacking the offseason would indicate that he is going to improve and become a better player. I won't hold my breathe on it, but there is definitely intensified pressure on the relationship between Garoppolo and the 49ers. It will be interesting to see where the 49ers draw the line on exploring options at quarterback.
That is, of course, if they even care to draw the line. In essence, Garoppolo has created this dilemma himself due to his lack of health. So should he really feel any type of way towards the 49ers?
The reality is that the longer this offseason drags on with rumors and interest that the 49ers have with other quarterbacks, the more strained the relationship between the two sides becomes.
