Seattle Seahawks Should Absolutely Make Run At Acquiring Jimmy Garoppolo

The Seattle Seahawks will enter 2022 training camp with Drew Lock and Geno Smith battling it out for the starting quarterback job.

After being linked to Baker Mayfield all offseason long, the plug was finally pulled on that idea when the Carolina Panthers acquired the disgruntled quarterback for a fifth-round draft pick last week.

While some reports indicated the Seahawks were interested in Mayfield, others signaled that Seattle never had much interest at all.

And while the Seahawks are truly content entering the season with either a second-round disappointment or a veteran journeyman backup as its starting QB, they should absolutely make a play for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

According to a report by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Seahawks are doing their “homework” on Garoppolo, watching film of the quarterback.

The veteran remains available, the only worthwhile starting quarterback left on the market. And while there’s little chance the 49ers would trade Garoppolo to a well-known division rival, there is little doubt Seattle should pounce on the opportunity if Jimmy G becomes a free agent.

Pete Carroll is on the verge of turning 71 years old and it’s unclear if he’ll even coach through the 2025 season, the last year of his current contract. With that said, Carroll has refused to use the term “rebuild,” despite the fact that many observers believe the Seahawks will be one of the worst teams in the league this season.

That can all be avoided by acquiring Garoppolo.

It’s true the 30-year-old quarterback will never lead the league in any major statistical category. In fact, he’s never even notched a Pro Bowl or an All-Pro season under his belt.

However, he’s a proven winner. Garoppolo holds a 33-14 career record and in his two lone full seasons as starter, he’s led the Niners to a Super Bowl appearance and an NFC Championship Game berth.

Acquiring Garoppolo is an immediate upgrade over Lock and Smith, two quarterbacks best suited to be backups rather than starters — even on a bad team.

As many holes as the Seahawks may have at offensive tackle — they’re due to start two rookies — this is a team that still has a lot of talent on offense. DK Metcalf is a former Pro Bowler and Tyler Lockett has posted three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Furthermore, Rashaad Penny led the league in yards per carry (6.3) last season and Noah Fant could emerge as the next great receiving tight end.

While Garoppolo won’t solve all of the Seahawks’ issues, he does make them a fringe playoff contender. Considering the NFC is a weak conference overall — only the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are legit Super Bowl contenders — maybe the Seahawks become an even bigger threat with Garoppolo.

Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area explains that the 49ers may have difficulty in finding a trade partner for Garoppolo. Simply put, they may find it easier to simply release the veteran quarterback. In that scenario, they wouldn’t be responsible for any of his $24.2 million salary for the 2022 season.

“How much the 49ers are willing to pay in order to complete a trade still remains to be seen,” explains Lee Chan. “Seattle likely would want to share responsibility of Garoppolo’s salary, or even wait to see if the 49ers quarterback is released in order to save money and draft picks. The club has yet to work out an extension with their star receiver D.K. Metcalf.

Releasing Garoppolo prior to the 53-man cutdown deadline would clear the club of responsibility for any of his salary. The additional cap space would give the 49ers more room to workout extensions for Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa, which both loom in the near future.”

In other words, Garoppolo becoming a free agent is a real possibility. And in that scenario, the Seahawks could become a legit landing spot for one of the league’s top winning quarterbacks.

Carroll and the organization seem to be set on picking up the team’s next franchise quarterback in the 2023 NFL draft. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

However, purposely forfeiting a season for the purpose of gaining a high draft pick is silly when the head coach is the oldest in the league. Furthermore, the Seahawks possess two first-round draft picks as a result of the Russell Wilson trade with the Denver Broncos.

While it may not be as flashy as drafting C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young, the Seahawks could still find their franchise quarterback in the middle to late rounds with a prospect such as Tyler Van Dyke or Anthony Richardson.

However, there’s no point in wasting the 2022 season to draft a franchise quarterback in 2023. That same franchise quarterback will take at least two or three seasons to actually hit his stride. There’s no guarantee Carroll is even the head coach by that point in time.

If the Seahawks sign Garoppolo, the franchise has a chance to continue its winning ways.

Considering Carroll’s age and the Seahawks’ level of talent, there’s no reason to not sign Garoppolo if he becomes available.