"It's a genuine possibility" - Legendary NFL GM shares his thoughts on Jimmy Garoppolo's trade situation with 49ers

Legendary general manager Bill Polian addressed the San Francisco 49ers possibly moving on from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason.

On The Adam Schefter Podcast, the 79-year-old Hall of Fame general manager discussed the trade market for the 49ers quarterback, his value, and the willingness of teams to overpay for him:

"Well, ordinarily, I think you'd probably be talking probably a two and a three, maybe four. Um, now, could it end up in a bidding war? I don't know. My sense is in talking to people around the league, there's a point beyond which they won't go for him. Because they know two things, number one, he's probably not going to play 17 games, that's pretty much a given and second of all, there are many people that believe that he's, he's not, you know, a top echelon quarterback. So, would you...are you willing to overpay in an overheated market? That's the question. A lot of people now say no, I don't know what they'll say in March.”

Polian concluded his comments by saying that San Francisco general manager John Lynch should even consider moving Garoppolo, and Trey Lance is not panning out thus far. He says it is possible the team will bring back Garoppolo:

“If I'm John Lynch, I'm sitting here saying to myself, you know, do I want to put this guy on the market? and what is the return that will allow me to run the risk of losing him? And then, you know, Lance not panning out the way we hoped that he would and Coach Shanahan will have a lot to say about it, too. So, I think that's a genuine possibility he stays back."

Polian was the general manager of the Buffalo Bills (1986 –1992), Carolina Panthers (1995 – 1997), and the president/general manager of the Indianapolis Colts (1997 – 2009).

His teams went to five Super Bowls, winning one (Colts in 2006). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

Jimmy Garoppolo vs. Trey Lance this season

NFC Wild Card Playoffs - San Francisco 49ers v Dallas Cowboys

Lance was the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and played in just six games, starting two of them. He had 603 yards passing with five touchdowns, two interceptions and 16 yards on the ground with a rushing touchdown.

Garoppolo led the team to the NFC Championship Game versus the Los Angeles Rams, losing by a score of 20-17. Jimmy G. threw for 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on the season.

Is the Hall of Famer general manager correct in his assessment that the 30-year-old will stay put in San Francisco in 2022? We will see how the offseason unfolds for him and 49ers starting March 16 when the new league year begins.