Jimmy Garoppolo Suggested as Falcons QB Option by NFL Personnel Evaluator

With two rising young quarterbacks in the pipeline, it's reasonable to believe the San Francisco 49ers will move on from the oft-injured veteran Jimmy Garoppolo this season.

So, where could he end up?

Well, one NFL personnel evaluator told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that he believes the Atlanta Falcons would be a good fit for the veteran.

"A bridge starter with QB1 upside, Garoppolo would get shades of the Niners' Kyle Shanahan offense with the Falcons, thanks to Arthur Smith's lean on the run and play-action," Fowler wrote. "And Garoppolo would come at a reasonable financial clip."

Earlier this week, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan essentially confirmed that the franchise would be moving on from Garoppolo this winter.

"No, I don't see any scenario of that," Shanahan said when asked if there was a scenario for the veteran signal-caller to return in 2023, per The Athletic's David Lombardi.

"I know we have two starters on our team right now that I believe we can with," Shanahan added, per 95.7 The Game. "When you have that situation, you aren't that eager to look around."

Garoppolo spent most of the 2022 campaign as San Francisco's starter after 2021 third overall pick Trey Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury in a Week 2 win over the Seattle Seahawks.

However, the 31-year-old suffered a season-ending injury himself when he broke his foot in a Week 13 win over the Miami Dolphins. That led to the 49ers turning to third-string quarterback Brock Purdy, who entered the starting lineup with no expectations and somehow managed to exceed them.

Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 draft, went 5-0 as San Francisco's starter in the regular season, completing 68.6 percent of his passes for 1,098 yards and 11 touchdowns against two interceptions.

The 23-year-old then led the 49ers to wins against the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys in the postseason. San Francisco lost the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles, but Purdy exited that game with a torn UCL in his elbow after attempting just four passes.

The Niners don't have a need for Garoppolo, and now he'll become one of the top quarterbacks available on the market this offseason.

The Falcons signed Marcus Mariota to a two-year deal ahead of the 2022 campaign to replace veteran Matt Ryan, whom they traded to the Indianapolis Colts. Mariota had an underwhelming first season in Atlanta, completing 61.3 percent of his passes for 2,219 yards and 15 touchdowns against nine interceptions in 13 games.

Atlanta went 5-8 with Mariota as its starting signal-caller before pivoting to 2022 third-round pick Desmond Ridder for the final four games of the season. Ridder led the Falcons to a 2-2 record while completing 63.5 percent of his passes for 708 yards and two touchdowns.

Garoppolo would be an upgrade for the Falcons over both Mariota and Ridder. However, it's unclear if the franchise will be interested in the veteran signal-caller, who has struggled to remain healthy since his career began in San Francisco in 2017.

Aside from the Falcons, the Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Las Vegas Raiders, Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, Washington Commanders and New Orleans Saints could be in the market for a quarterback this winter.

With Garoppolo on the table, it's reasonable to believe at least some of those clubs will check in with him, meaning the Falcons will have some competition.