Earlier on Wednesday, it was reported that the San Francisco 49ers have given Jimmy Garoppolo’s agents permission to seek a trade. That news comes after it was reported on Tuesday that Garoppolo is expected to be cleared by mid-August after undergoing shoulder surgery.
The Cleveland Browns have been one of the rumored suitors for Garoppolo, especially with Deshaun Watson potentially facing a lengthy suspension. Jacoby Brissett would currently be set to start at quarterback for Cleveland with Watson out.
Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network named the Browns and Seattle Seahawks as potential landing spots after Schefter’s report:
Two teams that make the most logical sense for Garoppolo as potential landing spots: the Cleveland Browns and the Seattle Seahawks.
The Browns have previously evaluated Garoppolo, per sources, and are in the market for a backup to Jacoby Brissett if three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson is suspended for the entire/majority of the season with his status still being contemplated by disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson.
More NFL insiders had similar reports:
The #Browns discussed Jimmy Garoppolo and did their homework on the #49ers QB earlier in the offseason, per source. Revisiting those conversations would depend on length of Deshaun Watson’s suspension, asking price, Garoppolo’s recovery, etc.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) July 20, 2022
The #Browns have discussed Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, as @DougKyed first said.
Those discussions first took place before the team traded for Deshaun Watson, and haven't discussed Garoppolo "in a while," per a league source. (1/2)
— Brad Stainbrook (@StainbrookNFL) July 20, 2022
However, Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com is pouring cold water on the Garoppolo rumors, writing, “The Browns are still not expected to pursue a trade for Jimmy Garoppolo even with the uncertainty over Deshaun Watson’s suspension.”
Here’s more from Cabot:
The Browns never seriously considered trading for Garoppolo this offseason, even before Watson hit the trade market in March when a grand jury declined to indict him on criminal charges.
The Browns never viewed Garoppolo as a clearcut upgrade over Baker Mayfield, and were prepared to ride out the 2022 season with their 2018 No. 1 pick if they weren’t able to land an elite quarterback such as Watson or Russell Wilson.
So, it appears that the Browns will just go with Brissett at quarterback for potentially a significant portion of the 2022 NFL season. The 29-year-old threw for five touchdowns and four interceptions, and had a 78.1 passer rating over 225 pass attempts (and five starts) with the Miami Dolphins in 2021. He has a career passer rating of 83.0 over 60 games (37 starts).
As for Garoppolo, the Seahawks and Houston Texans add up as the most likely destinations at this point.
