San Fransisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The NFL offseason is heating up. There are a lot of storylines to watch as many players may be on the move. Jimmy Garoppolo is one player that is drawing some interest from teams. While players like Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodgers are the top prizes, Garoppolo is no scrub. He has drawn some interest from a surprising team, the Houston Texans.
There's a "push" inside the #Texans to sign #49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo, according to @jjones9
Their plan is to sign him in free-agency while also drafting a QB in the first round. Garoppolo will start while the rookie develops. https://t.co/gonfYysxD3 pic.twitter.com/yHaJy5K9gj
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 7, 2023
Jimmy Garoppolo Drawing Interest From The Houston Texans
This is definitely a surprising report to come out. The Texans are taking a quarterback with their first-round pick. Getting Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Will Levis, or Anthony Richardson in the building has the potential to set Houston up at the quarterback position for years to come. It seems they want Garoppolo to give the rookie some time to develop. Whomever they draft would not be thrown into playing right away and could spend a year or two learning the offense and adjusting to the NFL.
Is This A Smart Plan?
There are pros and cons to this strategy. There is definitely a history of bad teams who draft a quarterback and throw him into the fray. He develops bad habits due to a poor roster around him and he becomes a bust within four years. However, there is also a history of rookies that come in and excel right away. Even if they don’t excel right away, the NFL reps pay dividends in a couple of years. We all can think of quarterbacks on each side of the equation. It all depends on how well the coaches are at developing. I personally am a fan of letting the young quarterback go in and make some mistakes especially if you have a good support system around him.
Is A Garoppolo Signing Realistic?
This is where it gets a little murky. There are many quarterback-needy teams out there. The Jets, Falcons, Raiders, Bucs, and Panthers are all teams that could be looking to sign a cheap short-term quarterback like Garoppolo. This will likely drive the price up a little higher as more teams interested means a bidding war. There also is the question of what Garoppolo wants. Does he want to be in another situation where he will be usurped in a couple of years? It happened in New England and in San Francisco. He may not want to be the mentor to a young quarterback and is just looking to play football.
This is definitely an interesting development. The Houston Texans seem to be thinking a little bit outside the box. It also may depend on what quarterback they are looking at. If they take a swing on a more raw prospect like Richardson, they might more seriously consider bringing in a veteran. This is just another wrinkle in an already intriguing offseason in the NFL.