Jimmy Garoppolo would love to team up with Deebo Samuel in another city.
The 49ers quarterback — who the team has been looking to trade since the end of last season — was asked about speculation that San Francisco could package him in a trade with the wide receiver.
“I would do that in a heartbeat, man,” Garoppolo said last Thursday on the “Stacking The Box” podcast — a day after Samuel asked the 49ers for a trade.
“I think those things will take care of themselves,” Garoppolo said, laughing. “But I didn’t even think about that. That’s not bad.”
The quarterback didn’t discuss his playing future any further.
After San Fransisco’s loss to the Rams in the NFC Championship Game in late January, Garoppolo said he and 49ers general manager John Lynch had talked “about finding the right destination” for the quarterback. Trading Garoppolo would free up $25.5 million in cap space and make room for the 49ers’ second-year quarterback Trey Lance to take over.
But, the 49ers remained stagnant while a bunch of quarterback moves were made. In February, ESPN reported “it’s not a lock” that the 49ers will trade Garoppolo, whose $137.5 million contract expires at the end of 2022. Lynch added at the time, that the 49ers have budgeted for the possibility that Garoppolo remains on the roster next season.
The 30-year-old underwent surgery on March 8 to repair the capsule in his throwing shoulder. Garoppolo is reportedly expected to be back throwing at full strength by late June or early July, barring any setbacks in his recovery. His recovery status, though, could be a red flag for teams.
Samuel has continued to share and delete cryptic messages on social media after it was reported that he was not happy with his usage in the offense.
“Reporters jobs is to make stories only people know the truth about situation is 49ers, [agent Tory Dandy], and Deebo Samuel,” he wrote in a tweet that has since been deleted.
Samuel was apparently out clubbing over the weekend and appeared to signal that he has no desire to stay in San Francisco. A social media video shows Samuel appearing to mouth “No” while slashing his hand across his neck when he sees bottle girls at a club holding up signs that read, “Deebo is staying #49ers.”
Packaging Garoppolo could make it easier to trade Samuel and offload the quarterback amid a crazy QB carousel.
A Garoppolo-Samuel pairing could work in Seattle or Carolina, as both teams are on the hunt for a new quarterback.
The Panthers were also reportedly interested in Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, who requested a trade out of Cleveland when they made a play and obtained former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. Houston could also be looking for a new quarterback.
The Panthers have the No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft Thursday, and reportedly won’t make other moves until after the first round.
