Dollars Down the Drain?

Making the case for the value of Jimmy G.

The 49ers have paid Jimmy Garoppolo roughly $85 million to start 33 games. I know some of you cringed reading that statement.

Do you believe Jed York would cringe reading that statement? I don’t.

Riddle me this Niners fans:

Imagine someone comes to you in 2017, days before the infamous trade with New England—when you’re sitting there miserable at 0-9—and tells you you’re going to have a franchise quarterback fall into your lap… but there’s a steep price to be paid.

You must give up a second round pick and pay $85-plus million to that quarterback.

But, in return, the organization will be lifted out of obscurity. The painful years of Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly will fall by the wayside as the 49ers franchise is lifted back into the national limelight. This quarterback will be the unquestionable catalyst for an incredible change in momentum as he wins out the final five games of the season in gunslinger fashion.

Following the magnificent finish to the 2017 season, the organization will be able to plaster this quarterback’s face—a very handsome face I might add—all over billboards, stadium banners, national sports broadcasts, and marketing materials sent out to current and prospective season ticket holders.

The excitement around this quarterback will, for the first time, completely fill the seats of the monstrous stadium that, quite frankly, had felt like a curse since its inaugural season four years prior. The 49ers will become a media darling for breakout candidates of the year. When he starts, the team will go 24-9.

Now here’s the kicker: two of the next three years will be lost to injury. But in between those two years will be the most magical season to happen since 2011. The 49ers fanbase will be completely restored, the team will play with a fevered pitch, and the organization will just ooze with fun good times all the way up to the Super Bowl, which, sadly, you will lose in heartbreaking fashion as it slips through your fingers in the waning minutes.

Tempted to make that trade yet?

Financially speaking, what did the 49ers and Jed York get for that $85 million? Did I mention that, in 2017 after signing the new and exciting head coach Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers organization was valued by Forbes Magazine at a cool $3 billion, but after the wild 2019 season, Super Bowl appearance, and the fervent return of the 49er fanbase, Jed is looking at a valuation around $3.8 billion.

So if your question is, “Does Jed York think he wasted any of the money he paid to Jimmy G?”

I’d say the answer is a solid, “Hell no.” Jed pocketed a whopping $715 million in the deal. I would be willing to wager that Jed gladly would have paid twice as much for the same end results.

When you consider how magical the 2019 season was and just how difficult it is to win a Super Bowl, I’m guessing that logical 49ers fans would do it all over again too.