Pros and Cons of Lions Trading for QB Jimmy Garoppolo

Should the Lions be in the market to trade for a new backup quarterback?

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo appears on his way out of San Francisco.

With coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers organization ready to move forward into 2022 with Trey Lance behind center, Garoppolo is on the trade block.

According to oddsmakers, the Detroit Lions currently have the second-best odds to land the 30-year-old quarterback. 

A recent report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero states that Garoppolo is expected to be traded by the end of the month.

According to ESPN, the Seattle Seahawks have had internal discussions about trading for the quarterback, but the pool of overall suitors for the quarterback remains small.

“A few executives I’ve spoke to believe the 49ers are a bit stuck here,” Jeremy Fowler writes. “Because they need Garoppolo to pass a physical coming off the shoulder surgery, they need to renegotiate his contract with that new team on that $24 million salary. And, the pool of suitors right now seems to be pretty small.”

The veteran quarterback’s recovery from offseason shoulder surgery remains on schedule, according to Pelissero’s report.

So, how realistic is the chance of the Lions trading for Garoppolo, and what could he bring to the team?

The Lions currently have Jared Goff entrenched as the starter. Heading into his second season, Goff has grown very comfortable with new Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. There’s also the restocked wide receivers corps, which figures to give the quarterback a solid set of pass-catchers.

When evaluating a trade for a player like Garoppolo, one must consider whether he’s a challenger to Goff and what it may cost to get him. In the most recent quarterback trade -- Carolina’s move to get Baker Mayfield -- only a fifth-rounder was required.

Garoppolo, however, is more established than Mayfield. He won two Super Bowl rings as a backup to Tom Brady in New England, then made another appearance in the big game as a starter for San Francisco in 2019.

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Last season, he started all but two regular season games, and reached the NFC title game with the team. Because of this track record, the asking price may be high.

Now, the production hasn’t necessarily matched the results in recent seasons. 

In 2021, he threw for 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his 15 starts. In a league dominated by big-time passers, he has yet to have a season in which he’s thrown for over 4,000 yards.

Goff, by comparison, started one less game than Garoppolo in 2021, and posted lower totals in passing yards, touchdowns and interceptions. With one appearance in the Super Bowl as a starter to his name, he boasts a resume very similar to his 49ers counterpart.

The Lions, if they were to make this trade, would be forced to consider what the effect of this trade would be. Garoppolo is three years older than Goff, and would bring a hefty contract with him.

The 49ers are set to pay him a base salary of $24.4 million in 2022, with the quarterback possessing a cap hit of nearly $27 million. Detroit already has Goff’s hefty contract on the books, so it would be very difficult to have both.

There’s also the issue of draft picks, as the Lions have been clear about the importance of capital in the draft. Detroit general manager Brad Holmes would likely have to surrender some of his stash in order to entice the 49ers to make the trade.

Goff has become comfortable with the Lions, looking and sounding the part of a quarterback who wants to win. Because he’s already ingrained in the system, the Lions would be wise to avoid a reset with a player like Garoppolo and to stick to their guns.