The Washington Football Team is in an extremely complicated position when it comes to the quarterback spot on the roster. While they are doing everything they can to win now and try to make the playoffs in the NFC East, it’s clear that they don’t have a QB that they think of as their answer for the future, and the 2021 season will likely bring more competition at that spot as they look for their franchise player.
A simple solution would be to tank this season and try to grab Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields out of the 2021 NFL Draft, but thanks to a weak division, Washington will likely end up with something closer to the No. 10 pick, rather than the No. 1 pick. Because of this, it will probably be via free agency or trade that they find their passer of the future going forward. We’ve already speculated about players like Cam Newton, or Sam Darnold, but another name has recently been added to the lists of quarterbacks that might be on the move this offseason:
San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo.
Though he is still under contract for a couple more years in San Francisco, both his 2021 and 2022 seasons are non-guaranteed, and after he suffered yet another injury this past week, which is likely to hold him out for at least 8 weeks and potentially the rest of the season, the 49ers have a decision to make on their QB with potential eyes at an upgrade in the draft. This could mean that Garoppolo is on the open market next offseason, which would give teams like Washington another option to kick the tires on.
So would Ron Rivera be interested in the former NFC Champion quarterback who was minutes away from winning a Super Bowl last season? There is a lot to like, and some very real things to be concerned about, but Washington may not have a ton of options at their disposal a few months from now. Before you dismiss the idea completely, just consider it for a little bit. He’d be better than Kyle Allen, potentially better than Cam Newton, and likely good enough to let a league-leading defense get the job done on Sundays. He may not be the league-beater that everyone wants under center to start a season, but he’s absolutely better than that Washington has now, and the upside with Garoppolo is absolutely worth getting excited about.
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