Why 2020 is a Make-or-Break Season for Jimmy Garoppolo

The 49ers say quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is their quarterback of the future.

His contract says something else.

This week in the Monday Morning Quarterback, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer astutely points out this week that 2020 is a make-or-break season for Garoppolo, because at the end of it the 49ers easily can cut him or trade him. He essentially is on an expensive year-to-year for the next three seasons.

Remember, the 49ers signed him after he had started just seven career -- they didn't know for sure how good he'd be. So they basically built a yearly "escape clause" into the deal. They did the same thing with Colin Kaepernick's big extension. The 49ers call these types of contracts "team friendly."

This offseason, after Garoppolo took the 49ers to the Super Bowl and crumbled during the fourth quarter of it, the 49ers admitted they considered signing Tom Brady. But Breer reports the 49ers went back and watched more tape of Garoppolo, which raised their opinions of him.

"So yeah, they have flexibility with Garoppolo," Breer writes. "But they also really like Garoppolo, which sometimes gets lost in the discussion."

Well, sure. But if the 49ers really, really liked Garoppolo they would have extended his contract this offseason, removed the "escape clause" and made him more affordable. Most fans and media people in the Bay Area expected the 49ers would do this.

They didn't. Which means the 49ers don't like Garoppolo as much as they say they do. Simple as that.

They want to like Garoppolo. They hope he can be great. But until they extend his contract, he's on notice.