49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo to Falcons? League Insider Says 'Good Fit'

The Atlanta Falcons are expected to make a move in the quarterback market this offseason. Could signing San Francisco 49ers signal caller Jimmy Garoppolo work out?

Jeremy Brener | Feb 3, 2023

In this story:

Atlanta Falcons

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is looking for a new home this offseason.

As an impending free agent, the Niners are choosing to move forward with Trey Lance and Brock Purdy, both of whom are on rookie contracts.

That means Garoppolo becomes one of the top options for teams eyeing a veteran option, one of which could be the Atlanta Falcons, and ESPN is reporting that one league personnel evaluator believes that the Dirty Birds are a good fit for Jimmy G.

"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. And Garoppolo would come at a reasonable financial clip," ESPN writes.

The Falcons are likely to cut Marcus Mariota this offseason as he carries a $12 million cap hold and currently roster Desmond Ridder, who started the last four games for Atlanta this season.

Ridder showed enough to warrant some type of consideration for 2023, but not enough to be handed the keys completely. Having a veteran in the building like Garoppolo could be a nice safety blanket for Ridder and the Falcons, who should see a path towards playoff contention.

With bundles of cap space and Tom Brady's retirement hindering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' NFC South title repeat, the Falcons need to strike while the iron is hot and getting a proven winner in Garoppolo could be the move to make.

Follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

Get your HOTlanta Falcons game tickets from SI Tickets ... here!

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Falcons? Click Here.

Follow Falcon Report on Twitter.

Want even more Atlanta Falcons news? Check out the SI.com team page here.

Published Feb 3, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.