49ers Would Listen to Jimmy Garoppolo Trade Offer From Cowboys, Kyle Shanahan Says
September 12, 2022
The San Francisco 49ers are willing to engage in discussions centered around a Jimmy Garoppolo trade.
Asked about whether he'd entertain sending Garoppolo to the Dallas Cowboys, head coach Kyle Shanahan reiterated the franchise's general stance.
"Just like all players, we’ll listen to anybody on anything," he told reporters. "That never changes for any player or coach."
ESPN's Todd Archer reported Monday that Cowboys star Dak Prescott underwent thumb surgery and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
With Cooper Rush now deputized as the starting quarterback for the next two months, many immediately thought a move for Garoppolo presented Dallas with a straightforward solution.
However, Shanahan's comments don't necessarily signal the extent of San Francisco's appetite for a swap.
The Niners could've traded Garoppolo at any point in the offseason and declined to do so. They also could've waived him ahead of Week 1 and saved a lot of money in the process.
Instead, the 30-year-old renegotiated his contract to make $6.5 million guaranteed and count for just under $14 million against the salary cap.
Now, Shanahan and general manager John Lynch hold almost all of the cards.
Even if they have no plans to bench Trey Lance at any point this year, Garoppolo is a great insurance policy in the event Lance gets hurt. If he were to go, the 49ers would be looking at seventh-round draft pick Brock Purdy as the backup QB.
Is a Garoppolo trade worth it if you're only getting a late Day 3 draft pick in return?
The Cowboys could be facing a similar dilemma. Prescott's injury presents major issues, yet he's still set to return at some point this year. Do they want to part with valuable draft compensation for a player who's only going to start for maybe half the season?
This could be a case of throwing good money after bad, too.
A 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1 was a sobering way for Dallas to open the season, and the result laid bare how there are issues that extend beyond the quarterback position.
Although the idea of starting Rush isn't ideal, upgrading to Garoppolo may not be enough to drastically alter the Cowboys' trajectory.