{"id":103542,"date":"2021-02-03T08:23:50","date_gmt":"2021-02-03T13:23:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=103542"},"modified":"2021-02-03T08:23:50","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T13:23:50","slug":"san-francisco-49ers-quarterback-situation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/02\/03\/san-francisco-49ers-quarterback-situation\/","title":{"rendered":"San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Situation Up in the Air"},"content":{"rendered":"

The San Francisco 49ers have some crucial questions to answer this offseason regarding their quarterback situation.\u00a0With Matthew Stafford<\/a> traded to the Los Angeles Rams<\/a>, objective assessments now reveal that the 49ers have the worst starting quarterback in the NFC West.<\/p>\n

Assessing the San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Situation<\/h2>\n

Jimmy Garoppolo<\/a> has played admirably when healthy. The 49ers record with and without him these last few seasons is evidence of solace that the team can be successful with him as a starter.\u00a0However, in a division with no easy victories and facing off against the likes of Stafford, Russell Wilson<\/a>, and Kyler Murray<\/a>, it\u2019s easy to see why the 49ers might be anxious for an upgrade.<\/p>\n

If Garoppolo is essentially the fallback option for the 49ers regarding the quarterback situation heading into next season, that\u2019s an advantageous position.\u00a0After all, many teams around the league would be comforted to have a quarterback who put up a passer rating of 102 when last healthy.\u00a0However, there are very critical limitations to what Garoppolo can do as a passer. It\u2019s worth asking what another passer could do with not only Kyle Shanahan\u2019s scheme but all these offensive weapons around them.<\/p>\n

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Garroppolo Solid, but Flawed<\/h3>\n

The record with and without Garoppolo these last few years is encouraging for his ability to lead a successful team. However, it isn\u2019t all that positive of a revelation within the context of this situation.\u00a0It says nothing about whether the team could be better if they were to acquire another quarterback or if this offense underachieves with Garoppolo under center.\u00a0It only shows that the team is better when Garoppolo starts compared to Nick Mullens<\/a> or C.J. Beathard<\/a>.\u00a0If that\u2019s the bar that makes Garoppolo indispensable to this team, then that\u2019s the sign of an overly conservative front office.<\/p>\n

Garoppolo threw a combined 27 passes in the two playoff games leading up to the Super Bowl back in 2019, including eight in the NFC Championship Game.\u00a0Any argument that defends Garoppolo that primarily states \u201cbut he got them to the Super Bowl\u201d discounts that piece of valuable context.\u00a0Garoppolo is an above-average quarterback. However, the defense and running game were the primary factors that got the 49ers to the Super Bowl last year.<\/p>\n

In the fourth quarter of that Super Bowl, Garoppolo had to make big throws to seal the deal and get the 49ers a championship. He could not do it.\u00a0Yes, Shanahan did not manage the clock well and called some questionable plays. When viewing the tape, though, there were multiple times that quarter where Garoppolo either did not see open receivers that would have secured first downs to keep the clock moving or just missed on the throws he did attempt.\u00a0It was essentially the first time that playoff run where Garoppolo needed to make plays with the outcome of the game in the balance. He could not do it.<\/p>\n

For a guy eating up the amount of payroll he is currently absorbing, it becomes more and more indefensible to have someone at that cap figure who cannot put the team on their back in big playoff moments like that.\u00a0It is not a question of if Garoppolo is a good quarterback relative to other starters around the league. He\u2019s an above-average option.\u00a0However, given the amount of money he makes and how he has shown his relative importance to the team\u2019s success, it\u2019s certainly worth exploring other options to make the team better.<\/p>\n

What the Stafford Trade Means for the 49ers<\/h3>\n

The 49ers were reportedly in the mix to acquire Stafford from the Detroit Lions<\/a>. The Lions ultimately sent him to the Rams for two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and Jared Goff<\/a>.\u00a0Stafford is a better quarterback in a vacuum than Garoppolo. However, it\u2019s a fair assessment to conclude that Stafford wasn\u2019t worth the draft pick haul he\u2019d take for the acquisition.\u00a0This trade is a bit skewed with the inclusion of Goff as well. The Rams likely had to throw in that extra first-rounder for the Lions to take on that gigantic Goff contract.\u00a0Keeping in mind the Goff variable, another team around the league probably would have needed to give up a first and third-round pick to acquire Stafford.<\/p>\n

The 49ers have the 12th overall pick in this year\u2019s draft. They assessed that Garoppolo plus those draft picks could provide more value to the roster next year than Stafford.\u00a0That presumes that Garoppolo will stay healthy next year. That might be dubious based on the amount of time he has missed these last few years.\u00a0Not acquiring Stafford based on what it would cost is defensible, though. It opens up other alternatives for the 49ers to continue exploring.<\/p>\n

Watson Remains an Option<\/h3>\n

The most appealing possibility is trading for Deshaun Watson<\/a>. However, there\u2019s already speculation that a Watson deal would include three or four first-rounders and possibly an already established 49ers star.\u00a0Just because the team concluded that Stafford wasn\u2019t worth the trade haul the market demanded doesn\u2019t necessarily mean they\u2019d treat a Watson trade the same way, though.<\/p>\n

Watson is a generational quarterback. Finding the elusive franchise signal-caller in this league is worth nearly any trade package.\u00a0A 33-year-old Stafford might not be worth mortgaging too much draft capital for, but a 25-year-old Watson certainly is.\u00a0The 49ers are not only helped by having an already talented roster that Watson can join, but that they\u2019re in the NFC.\u00a0This past season showed that most of the formidable teams in this league look like they\u2019re in the AFC. The NFC is relatively wide open.<\/p>\n

The Houston Texans<\/a> are undoubtedly considering the ramifications of trading Watson within the AFC.\u00a0The NFC West is far away from the concerns of the AFC South. Perhaps the Texans want to send Watson to a division as irrelevant to them as possible.\u00a0Watson also has a no-trade clause he can wield. He\u2019s going to have an impact on dictating where he ultimately gets sent.\u00a0The playoff picture of the NFC looks far less intimidating right now than the AFC. The 49ers have a roster that he\u2019d be able to compete for championships with.<\/p>\n

Possibility To Draft New 49ers Quarterback in First Round<\/h3>\n

Another enticing option for the 49ers would be to take a quarterback with that number 12 overall pick in this upcoming draft.
\nGoff going to the Lions makes it that much less likely that the Lions will use their number seven overall pick on a quarterback. That\u2019s one less team that 49ers have to worry about poaching a quarterback before them.<\/p>\n

Someone like Trey Lance from North Dakota State could be available at 12. The Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a>, New York Jets<\/a>, Atlanta Falcons<\/a>, Carolina Panthers<\/a>, and Denver Broncos<\/a> all possibly need a quarterback and draft ahead of the 49ers, though. Given all that, it becomes less likely that someone like Lance would be available at 12.\u00a0If Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, and Lance are off the board before 12, which seems entirely possible, the 49ers could look at someone like Mac Jones from Alabama.<\/p>\n

Draft Could Lead To Veteran Quarterbacks Being on the Move<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s still early to speculate on the draft too heavily. However, it\u2019s worth considering that someone like Matt Ryan<\/a> could be available via trade if the Falcons take a quarterback at number four in the draft.\u00a0Ryan is 35 years old and would probably take less to acquire than Stafford, even when considering that extra first-rounder was on account of taking on the Goff contract.<\/p>\n

Shanahan went to a Super Bowl with Ryan when he was Offensive Coordinator of the Falcons. Ryan won a league MVP Award under the guidance of Shanahan. It’s impossible to conclude that Shanahan wouldn’t at least consider if Ryan could be plugged into this lineup for a few seasons and make a run at a championship. It’s a situation worth monitoring if the Falcons pick a quarterback at number four.<\/p>\n

How Releasing Garoppolo Could Impact Cap Room<\/h3>\n

Given the low dead cap money Garoppolo represents for next season, the team could release him and free up a lot of space to possibly re-sign key free agents like Trent Williams<\/a> and Kyle Juszczyk<\/a>. Without taking on the salary of a veteran quarterback acquired via trade, a rookie quarterback deal would make it tremendously easier to retain key free agents.<\/p>\n

Having a quarterback on a rookie contract is a great way to free up money to spend elsewhere on the roster.\u00a0The caveat with this is that it has to be for a rookie quarterback a team believes is their quarterback of the future. That\u2019s a loaded decision to make.\u00a0The 49ers would have to hope someone they can envision leading their franchise is available at number 12 in the draft.\u00a0They could try to trade up in the draft, but that is a whole other discussion to analyze.<\/p>\n

49ers Quarterback Situation Still in Relatively Good Shape<\/h3>\n

There are many directions the 49ers could go with their quarterback situation right now. If Garoppolo is considered the fallback option, though, they\u2019re in good shape.\u00a0The team has proven that they can compete for a championship at full health. There\u2019s a lot of teams around the league wishing that they had that type of confidence in their current roster.<\/p>\n

Main photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>