Most Likely Destinations for Jimmy Garoppolo in the 2021 NFL Offseason

Just one year after reaching the Super Bowl, the San Francisco 49ers are in limbo. The team finished with a disappointing 6-9 record, but those struggles can't simply be attributed to the season-ending injury suffered by Jimmy Garoppolo.

The Niners went just 3-3 with Garoppolo at the helm, and a combination of middling play and injury woes suggest he's not the franchise quarterback they had hoped after he led them to 5 straight wins in 2017.

Garoppolo also carries a cap hit above $26 million in each of the next two seasons. This offseason, however, the 49ers can get out of his contract while taking on less than $3 million in dead money. That makes him a prime candidate for a trade, or even to be a cap relief cut if the trade market is too quiet.

Here are the three most likely destinations for Garoppolo this offseason.

1. New England Patriots

This would be a quintessential New England Patriots move. The Pats drafted Garoppolo in the second round in 2014, and recouped that cost when the shipped him off to the 49ers in exchange for a 2018 second-round pick. Now needing a quarterback again with Cam Newton on his way out, reuniting with the Bill Belichick in Foxboro would make a ton of sense for both the Patriots, who need a QB, and Garoppolo, who would get to compete for a starting spot in an organization that clearly values him.

2. Indianapolis Colts

With Philip Rivers' contract (and possibly NFL career) coming to an end, the Indianapolis Colts could be back in the QB market. One former Patriots QB (Jacoby Brissett) has had his shot in Indy, and now it could be time for another as Brissett is set to be an unrestricted free agent. As a playoff team, the Colts aren't likely to want to roll with a rookie quarterback as their top option in 2021. A serviceable veteran like Garoppolo would be a wise signing.

3. Washington Football Team

The Washington Football team's roster puts them in a strange spot. This is a young, rebuilding roster, but veteran QB play is what has carried them to an unlikely playoff berth. Alex Smith is not the long-term answer, but making the playoffs also means that they don't have a premium draft pick to spend on an early first-round quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft. This team has plenty of non-QB strengths, and Garoppolo could keep them competitive while offering some upside as he's still just 29 years old. The addition (especially if it's as a free agent on a reasonable contract) wouldn't preclude them from drafting a quarterback this year either.

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Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.