According to the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the San Francisco 49ers and Jimmy Garoppolo have agreed to a five-year deal. The contract will net Garoppolo $137.5 million over the next five years. At the time of the signing, the contract became the biggest average-per-year contract in NFL history at $27.5 million per year, half a million more per year than Matthew Stafford‘s previously record-holding contract.
The 49ers and QB Jimmy Garoppolo have agreed to a five-year, $137.5 million contract, source says. The biggest deal in NFL history on a average-per-year basis.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 8, 2018
San Francisco 49ers Sign Jimmy Garoppolo to Five-Year Contract
The New England Patriots shocked the country on October 30, 2017, by trading Garoppolo to San Francisco for a 2018 second-round draft pick. The trade was the catalyst for much speculation about the future of Tom Brady‘s career and was used as evidence in a late-season ESPN article claiming that the foundations of the Patriots organization were beginning to crack.
The Patriots saw brilliance in Garoppolo early in the 2016 season while Brady was serving a four-game Deflategate suspension. His season-opening win over the Arizona Cardinals caused eyes and ears to perk up across the nation before throwing three touchdowns against the Miami Dolphins the following week.
After being dealt to San Francisco, Garoppolo did not make an appearance for the Niners until late November. In relief of C.J. Beathard against the Seattle Seahawks, he completed two passes for 18 yards and a touchdown. Garoppolo started the next five games for San Francisco, completing 118 of 176 attempts for 1,542 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions. His play was largely responsible for a minor renaissance for the 1-9 team. The Niners ended the season 5-10, a marked improvement from their 2-14 campaign in 2016. Garoppolo is undefeated in his career as a starting quarterback.
Even so, a contract of this magnitude is surprising. In four seasons in the NFL, the 26-year old out of Eastern Illinois has only appeared in 23 games. Many claim that Garoppolo’s inexperience and limited sample size are inflating the young quarterback’s worth. Regardless, Garoppolo will head into the 2018 season as head coach Kyle Shanahan‘s best option for success.
