© Joe Nicholson | 2020 Nov 1
The writing is on the wall for Jimmy Garoppolo.
Likely out for the remainder of the season and due $25 million in early 2021, the conventional wisdom suggests that the 49ers are unlikely to retain him for next season.
Former 49ers quarterback Steve Young agrees with that sentiment, telling Tolbert, Krueger & Brooks on Wednesday that he doesn’t see how the money owed could ‘work out’ in Garoppolo’s favor. But what should they do without Jimmy G?
Young stressed that the 49ers should bring in an established player immediately that allows them to compete while their championship window is still open.
“You don’t want to go into this quarterback roulette kind of thing, that doesn’t serve anybody,” Young said. “And Jimmy is still young enough where he can play for 10 more years. That’s why it’s on Kyle to try and decide ‘are there limitations, can I work with them, what are my options, who can I look at?’
“The calculus too is what do you have to pay that quarterback to do that, and how does that affect the window. Does it give you extra money so it extends the window for an extra year before you have to pay everyone? Those are all super big challenges.”
Young was asked about Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford as a potential option. Young says he loves Stafford as a player, but isn’t sure if he would fit in San Francisco. Stafford has a $34 million cap hit for next season.
“Matthew Stafford to be is one of the best players in the league and he’s stuck in Detroit. Cincinnati and Detroit are the two places if I had a young son who was gonna go pro, I’d say ‘I don’t care what you do, we’re not doing that.’
“That’s why I know how tough Matthew is because he’s stared into the abyss and he has thrived. I don’t know if that fits here, but I certainly like him a lot.”
Listen to the full interview below.