Tony Romo the GM? Ex Cowboys QB Shares Take on Jimmy Garoppolo Trade Rumors

Romo provided some interesting insight on how the Niners could potentially handle their Jimmy G dilemma

All-time great Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo watched from the CBS broadcast booth in January as the San Francisco 49ers took down his former team 23-17 in a NFC Wild Card game that was stressful for both teams into the final seconds. 

And now he's watching the Niners prepare to, as he puts it, "pull the trigger'' on the winning QB in that game.

Led by quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, whose connection with Romo runs deep due to their shared Eastern Illinois roots, the Niners managed to pull out the postseason upset at AT&T Stadium that sparked a Niners' mini-run in the NFC playoffs. 

But once Garoppolo and the Niners fell short to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game two weeks later, the offseason speculation regarding his future in the Bay began to grow.

Garoppolo, often seen as nothing more than a game-managing quarterback, was still able to lead a run-heavy Kyle Shanahan-led offense one win away from the Super Bowl. But the offseason surgery the 30-year-old underwent in March severely hurt his potential to be traded to a team in need. It also doesn't help that the talk surrounding the Niners' quarterback room last season was centered around the potential that dual-threat rookie Trey Lance could bring with a full season of play, as the sexy choice would be to let the No. 3 overall pick play.

With rumors swirling since the end of the last season, Romo feels certain that front offices will be calling Niners general manager John Lynch once the 2022 season gets underway and the injury bug starts to set in for quarterbacks around the league.

“When he gets healthy, you'll see teams coming in,” Romo told The Zach Gelb Show on Wednesday. “I think the Niners are staying pat. Because as soon as a quarterback gets injured in camp or in preseason, something usually happens where someone gets banged up. … That'll be when the value will go up, and the 49ers will get more value than they're getting right now. I think that's when they're going to pull the trigger.”

If Lynch and the Niners feel impatient while waiting for a trade partner, they could release Garoppolo in order to save $25.5 million. But per Romo's prediction, "staying pat" could help draw in maximum value (or at least some value) from a team looking for a mid-season acquisition of a quarterback like Garoppolo, who has proven to be a winner in postseason action. 

Romo also speaks from 13 years of veteran experience when discussing how Lynch and Co. should approach a trade from a locker room perspective. ESPN reported Monday that the Seattle Seahawks, an NFC West rival of the Niners and a team looking for any solid answer at quarterback after trading Russell Wilson in March, have entered Garoppolo trade-suitor candidacy after "doing homework" on the eight-year vet. 

Romo doesn't think a trade to Seattle is out of the question, but it all comes back to Lance's ability to take over a full-time role this fall and the kind of intel Garoppolo could potentially provide for Seattle during the two division games against the Niners. 

“You know this person knows your team, inside and out, and don't necessarily want someone else in the division to have that kind of information or talent,” Romo said. “If (the Seahawks) view (Garoppolo) as a really talented guy but think Trey’s a bit more talented, they probably won’t do that and trade him within the division. But if they view him not at that level, it'd be different.”

While San Francisco will have some more time to figure out its Jimmy G dilemma, Romo will watch from the broadcast booth as his Cowboys look to find a way to overcome the postseason nightmare that Garoppolo and the Niners embedded into the heads of the team and quarterback Dak Prescott six long months ago. 

---

You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Dallas Cowboys? Subscribe to the Daily Cowboys SI Newsletter with Mike Fisher now!

Follow FishSports on Twitter

Follow Cowboys / Fish on Facebook

Subscribe to the Cowboys Fish Report on YouTube for constant daily Cowboys live-stream podcasts and reports!