Are the 49ers Trying to Pump Up Jimmy Garoppolo's Trade Value?

It's starting to seem like Jimmy Garoppolo has no trade value.

It's starting to seem like Jimmy Garoppolo has no trade value.

We all know the 49ers are looking around for a replacement. They admitted they considered signing Tom Brady last year, and it was reported they considered trading for Matthew Stafford just last week.

The 49ers are searching for "their guy" at quarterback," and it's not Garoppolo. That much is clear.

By being so transparent, the 49ers have created a situation in which Garoppolo probably has zero trade value. If the 49ers don't want Garoppolo, why should anyone else? Teams simply can wait for the 49ers to cut him.

And then the 49ers will have to pay through the nose to trade for "their guy," because teams will know the 49ers are desperate.

So it seems the 49ers are attempting to do damage control. This week, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported the 49ers "are fine going forward with Garoppolo."

Yikes. The 49ers can't even pretend to be enthusiastic about Garoppolo.

Enter George Kittle, the most enthusiastic player on the 49ers. He went on NFL Network Tuesday morning on behalf of the 49ers and said this:

"I'm happy to have him as my QB and I know we can win with him." -- @gkittle46 on @49ers QB @JimmyG_10. pic.twitter.com/HEqcEvxxyQ

— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) February 2, 2021

"Jimmy is one hell of a quarterback. He took us to a Super Bowl last year. Unfortunately, some injuries prohibited him from performing at his best. I still believe in Jimmy G. I think he's an incredible quarterback. I think he can lead us to another Super Bowl. I think we can win a Super Bowl with him.

"I'll keep dying on this sword, because I think Jimmy G is a fantastic quarterback, he has an amazing release, he has a great arm and he has great touch. I'm happy to have Jimmy G as my quarterback and I know that we can win with him."

A great effort by a team captain and highly-paid 49ers employee, but I don't think this will do much to inflate Garoppolo's value. Kittle is supposed to support his quarterback.

And how much can the 49ers really win with Garoppolo? He started his career with a 16-2 record, but since then he's 8-6. And he's regressing. It seems the league has figured him out the way it figured out Jared Goff, who won nine games each of the past two seasons after losing in the Super Bowl.

Here's the book on Garoppolo: He can't move, throw deep or outside the numbers. So when it's clear he's going to throw, play Cover 1 with a safety in the deep middle of the field and a linebacker in a shallow zone over the middle. Pack the middle. Dare him to throw outside the numbers. He won't. Or dare him to scramble. He won't.

Cover 1 is the Garoppolo beater. Everyone knows this. The 49ers need to move on and trade him before he gets injured again.

Too bad the rest of the league now knows the truth about Garoppolo, too, no matter how much the 49ers say they're fine with him.