NFL rumors: Jimmy Garoppolo market expected to be led by 3 teams

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will reportedly have three teams interested in his services this season.

The quarterback position will be the story of the NFL offseason. There are a lot of teams in need of a quarterback in this offseason, and right before March 15th into the 2023 league year, Derek Carr, Gino Smith, and Daniel Jones are officially off the plate. In terms of free agency, one of the best options left is former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Despite leading the team to the NFC Championship Game in two of the past four seasons, the 49ers are moving forward without him for Trey Lance and Brock Purdy.

But what teams will be in the market for him?

According to NFL National Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders and Carolina Panthers are likely to be interested in Garoppolo.

Raiders, Texans, Panthers are likely to be interested in Jimmy Garoppolo

The Raiders are an obvious link for Garoppolo, considering his former offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, Josh McDaniels, is the head coach in Las Vegas. The team moved from Carr this off-season, and are looking to compete in the AFC West. Could Garoppolo be the quarterback they go with in 2023? Or will it pivot elsewhere?

Then there are the Texans, who have named former 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as their head coach. Not to mention, last year’s San Francisco pass game coordinator, Bobby Slowik, is the new offensive coordinator for the Texans. But, the Texans hold the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which would put them in the race for one of the best quarterback prospects, who would likely start in Week 1.

As for the Panthers, they haven’t had much luck at the quarterback position in recent years. Now, they have a new head coach in Frank Reich, whose specialty is working and getting the most out of their quarterbacks. Can they bring in a veteran like Garoppolo to lead the team to the playoffs in what is becoming a weak NFC South Division?

With his future with the 49ers in doubt after the 2021 season, Garoppolo eventually agreed to return to the team for one final year. The move turned out to be beneficial, as Lance fractured his ankle in week two, clearing the way for Garoppolo to start their next ten games, leading them to seven wins. However, in Week 13, Garoppolo broke his foot, knocking him out for the rest of the year.

In 11 games this past season, Garoppolo threw for 2,437 yards, 16 touchdowns, and four interceptions, while completing 67.2 percent of his passes.

While the league year officially begins on March 15th, the free agency negotiation window opens on March 13th. Whether it happens during those dates or much later, it will be interesting to see who Garoppolo ends up signing, and whether it will be with the Raiders, Texans, or Panthers.

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