Charles Krupa / Associated Press
The San Francisco 49ers seem ready to find their next quarterback through the draft, but the team was also considering a deal for New York Jets passer-by Sam Darnold.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported on the 49ers “had some internal discussion about Sam Darnold ‘before finally Trading from # 12 to # 3 in a deal with the Miami Dolphins.
San Francisco also noted that the Jets have no plans to postpone number 2 on the NFL draft in 2021.
If Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson take the top two picks off the board as expected, the 49ers could pick Justin Fields, Mac Jones and Trey Lance as the next franchise quarterback.
It gives the 49ers the option to switch from Jimmy Garoppolo, who is under contract for two more seasons but has few guarantees for the future. The team can trade or unblock the 29-year-old after June 1 and save $ 25 million per year against the 2021 cap Spotrac.
The organization would have a similar opportunity ahead of the 2022 season and would save $ 25.6 million.
While Garoppolo was a valuable player en route to the Super Bowl in 2019, injuries have limited his impact – he has only had one season with more than six starts since joining the league in 2014.
Darnold could have been an option to start over based on the talent he has shown at times throughout his career both in the NFL and as a prospect.
Number 3 in the 2018 overall standings played well in 2019 with limited help. A total of 3,024 passes and 19 touchdowns were scored in 13 games. However, he’s still struggling overall and was one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL last year. He finished 2020 last among qualified players with a 72.7 quarterback rating.
Even if he gets back on his feet in 2021, the 23-year-old will be with one after this season $ 18.9 million team option or possibly even more with a new contract.
San Francisco apparently chose to find a new quarterback on the draft rather than making a deal for Darnold.
