Lions are not a ‘realistic’ trade partner for 49ers with Jimmy Garoppolo

It didn’t make a lot of sense before the offseason, and now it certainly makes no sense for the Lions to be in on Jimmy Garoppolo at a newly proposed cost.

The idea the Detroit Lions could pursue a trade for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t necessarily new, as it first seemed to surface in December. With the financial commitment to Jared Goff all but locked in for 2022, it didn’t make much sense back then.

If not for shoulder surgery, which he apparently had done without telling the 49ers first, Garoppolo would probably already be traded. There are still potential suitors out there, and an injury or two between now and Week 1 would open up options.

Once Garoppolo is cleared to throw, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area suggested he may ask for his release if the 49ers don’t trade him quickly. He is owed over $24 million in salary, non-guaranteed, this year.

Lions are not a ‘realistic’ trade partner for 49ers on Jimmy Garoppolo

Joe Tansey of Bleacher Report listed out three “realistic trade packages” for Garoppolo this past week. There with the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks, are the Lions. Here’s the potential deal.

"Potential Trade: San Francisco acquires two 2023 sixth-round picks."

It’s hard to see the 49ers, even as their leverage has eroded, taking two sixth-round picks for Garoppolo. It feels like they’d release him, perhaps granting his wish if it comes to that, before they took that kind of offer. And that assumes the Lions would even make an offer, a better one that two 2023 Day 3 picks even, and carry Garoppolo as a backup or legit competition for Goff.

Getting down to it, if the 49ers are set to trade Garoppolo to the Lions he may ask to be released instead. Whether they’d grant that wish is the question, but they seem to like him enough that they’d do right by him if they can.

The Lions should have upgraded, and still could upgrade even at this stage, their backup quarterback situation behind Goff. Garoppolo would be an upgrade, but the broad circumstance of a deal doesn’t fit anywhere for them or the 49ers.

Never say never on this kind of thing. But, at least in 2022, Garoppolo will not realistically become a Detroit Lion.