Should Pittsburgh Steelers be all in on Jimmy Garoppolo?
Could Jimmy Garoppolo be sporting black and gold in the near future?
It's certainly a possibility.
San Francisco's loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game was likely the eight-year NFL veteran's last game suiting up for the 49ers. Trey Lance — the third overall pick in the 2021 Draft — is expected to succeed Garoppolo as the franchise's next starting quarterback.
That said, the question remains: What is Garoppolo's future?
If you ask Colin Cowherd, all signs point to Heinz Field.
"About seven, eight teams need a quarterback. Jimmy Garoppolo's out there. It's interesting," he said on Thursday's "The Herd." "Garoppolo's different. … Jimmy's saying, ‘Yeah, just get me to a team that has good players.' I will say, Pittsburgh feels right. Pittsburgh has averaged about 9.5 wins over the last three years. That's with leading the NFL in sacks five straight years, a Hall of Fame coach, always way above-average wide receivers, and now, a sensational rookie tight end."
Cowherd continued on, comparing what Garoppolo could be in comparison to former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger.
"Ben was really bad. So I think Garoppolo today in Pittsburgh is a significant upgrade. Did they play in the NFC West? Did they play in the AFC West with all those quarterbacks? No. They play in the NFC North, and Lamar [Jackson] was hurt most of the year. And the Browns went into the tank.
"I'd absolutely sign him to a two-year deal, and if I was the Niners, give me one of your corners. I don't want a draft pick. You give me a corner, you can have Jimmy."
Garoppolo, who has been the 49ers’ starter since 2017, has led San Francisco to two NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl appearance over the last three years. Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers boast a 35-16 record with Garoppolo as a starter — 31-14 (.689) in the regular season and 4-2 (.667) in the postseason.
This season, the 49ers went 1-1 with rookie Lance as their starter and 9-7 with Garoppolo under center.