Report: Colts Concerned with Jimmy Garoppolo's Shoulder Injury Before Matt Ryan Trade

The Indianapolis Colts traded a 2022 third-round pick for veteran quarterback Matt Ryan on Monday, per multiple reports, deciding against pursuing San Francisco signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo in the process. 

Why? Per ESPN's Dianna Russini, the Colts had "concerns over [Garoppolo's] shoulder injury. Not so much the medical side of it but the idea of missing time in the offseason with a new team. This was a red flag."

Garoppolo, 30, underwent shoulder surgery in March and will likely be recovering into the summer. That will make adjusting to a new team and a new scheme difficult.

Potential trade suitors continue to dwindle. The Atlanta Falcons signed free agent Marcus Mariota on Monday. 

And the New Orleans Saints are re-signing Jameis Winston, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero:

The Seattle Seahawks might also be in the market for a starting quarterback, but they aren't a likely trade partner with the Niners given their divisional rivalry and their addition of Drew Lock in the Russell Wilson trade. 

That leaves perhaps only the Carolina Panthers seeking an upgrade on Sam Darnold and the Houston Texans seeking an upgrade on Davis Mills. However, the Texans might give Mills another year under center as they continue to dramatically rebuild their roster. 

While the list of teams in need of quarterback help dwindles, Garoppolo isn't the only veteran on the market. The Cleveland Browns are looking to trade Baker Mayfield after acquiring Deshaun Watson from the Texans last week. 

Jimmy G had a solid 2021 season, throwing for 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 68.3 percent of his passes and leading the Niners to the NFC Championship Game. But Trey Lance is the future of the position in San Francisco, and he's likely to be the starter next season.

If the Niners can't find a trade partner for Garoppolo, which is becoming more and more of a possibility, they might find themselves in the awkward position of bringing him back as a backup next season.