The days of Jimmy Garoppolo being within 15 minutes of leading the San Francisco 49ers to a Lombardi Trophy couldn’t feel any more distant right now.

Just over a year after the 49ers collapsed in Super Bowl 54, the team could be headed for a divorce with Garoppolo, their starting quarterback. Although the 49ers have committed thus far to Garoppolo, even the newest NFL fans know how quickly things can change.

If the 49ers’ newest move is a sign of what is to come, then Garoppolo may want to start packing his suitcase.

Jimmy Garoppolo might not be with the 49ers much longer

The NFL quarterback market looks as follows right now: Deshaun Watson, and then everyone else.

Jimmy Garoppolo is part of the “everyone else” category. Despite being the starting quarterback in the Super Bowl just over a year ago, Garoppolo may not be long for the 49ers.

San Francisco could soon part ways with Garoppolo, who has a no-trade clause in his contract for the 2021 league year. Garoppolo completed 67.1% of his passes for 1,096 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions in six starts this season.

The former second-round pick missed time with ankle problems this past season, and he has struggled with durability over the years. Garoppolo, who turned 29 in November, also missed most of the 2018 season with a torn ACL.

San Francisco intends to bring Josh Rosen back

Another QB note to add here: The #49ers are bringing back QB Josh Rosen, source says. Rosen, who spent most of this season on the #Buccaneers’ practice squad, was an exclusive rights free agent, so it was up to the team to tender him an offer. They’ll officially do that soon.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 7, 2021

With Jimmy Garoppolo injured last season, the San Francisco 49ers added former third-year quarterback Josh Rosen late in the year.

Yes, that Josh Rosen. The Arizona Cardinals drafted Rosen, a star quarterback from UCLA, with the 10th overall pick in 2018 and hoped he would replace Carson Palmer as the team’s franchise quarterback.

A regime change after the season led to Arizona trading Rosen, who had a mixed rookie year, to Miami during the 2019 NFL draft. Rosen split time with Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2019 before the Dolphins drafted Tua Tagovailoa last year.

Miami cut Rosen in the summer, and Tampa Bay signed him to the practice squad. That allowed Rosen to spend much of the 2020 campaign around Tom Brady and Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.

San Francisco added Rosen in December as an emergency option on the active roster. NFL Media recently reported that the 49ers intend to bring Rosen back for the 2021 season.

Josh Rosen could be bad news for Jimmy Garoppolo’s future

Shanahan emphasizes that Josh Rosen was brought aboard in a bind for emergency backup purposes. "Of course there's a chance" that he can stick beyond these two games, Shanahan said, but whatever happens for here on out depends on how well Rosen acclimates/picks up playbook

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) December 24, 2020

Jimmy Garoppolo has the money, the contract, and the resume not to be afraid of Josh Rosen’s presence.

What Rosen lacks compared to Garoppolo, though, is exactly why the 49ers’ incumbent starter should be concerned. Rosen is a cheap option who spent most of the 2020 season learning from Tom Brady, an all-time legend, and a rising coaching star in Byron Leftwich.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan has developed a reputation as a quarterback guru, of sorts. Atlanta Falcons great Matt Ryan won the NFL MVP Award after the 2016 season when Shanahan was his offensive coordinator.

Suddenly, the 49ers’ quarterback situation just got very interesting. If Rosen takes to Shanahan’s system and starts showing signs of why the Cardinals drafted him so early, then Garoppolo and his contract may have to find a new home.

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