Why Jimmy Garoppolo Won’t be Able to Maximize his Value This Season

Jimmy Garoppolo’s tenure with the 49ers is coming to an end.

It is not a matter of if, but when exactly that will be. For now, Garoppolo is set to be the starter come Week 1. The 49ers have remained adamant that Garoppolo is the starter for the season, while Trey Lance will learn from the sidelines.

This is a scenario the 49ers are executing in hopes that Garoppolo will remain healthy and play solid to allow them to trade him for adequate draft capital in the offseason. It also is the hope that it will allow Lance to be brought along slowly and be ready to take the reigns in 2022.

If you’re Garoppolo, this is actually a pretty sweet deal. What better way to drive up his stock and continue to be paid a high salary than to be the quarterback for the 49ers. A lot is at stake for Garoppolo this season between having to suffer a drop in salary next year and possibly even losing his starting caliber status depending on if he plays poorly.

Unfortunately for Garoppolo, he won’t be able to maximize his value this season.

The dream of him continuing to be paid nicely AND being starting caliber will likely not come to fruition. For starters, Garoppolo remaining healthy is a stretch. That alone feels like a toss up, which is not what a player who needs to maximize his value for the offseason needs. Just ask Jason Verrett how staying healthy and playing at a high level worked out for him. He supposedly had a multi-year deal on the table with better pay and decided to gamble on himself one more time.

Garoppolo on the other hand only wishes he can be the equivalent of Verrett at his position. Garoppolo is more of a product of Kyle Shanahan’s offense than his actual talent. And as smooth as he was in 2019, he was far from elite. He was average with above average games.

Lastly, there is no guarantee that even if he accomplishes those two factors that he will maintain his starting status with the 49ers. Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network recently said that once Lance is ready, he will be the starter regardless of what Garoppolo is doing. So what if Lance is ready Week 4? Then Garoppolo can kiss the chance of maximizing his value goodbye.

This is why the thought of allowing him to start the whole season and trade him in the offseason is such a pipe dream. Sounds more like something out of the video game Madden. That is how much of a fantasy it is.

Garoppolo was doomed from the moment the 49ers spent three first-round picks to acquire Lance.