Patriots Not Expected To Trade For Jimmy Garoppolo

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Patriots are not expected to trade for 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo tonight or anytime soon.

Rapoport explains that even if the two parties could come to terms on a deal, it would still require a “complex contract negotiation” to complete the trade.

According to Rapoport, New England simply does not have the cap room right now to fit Garoppolo’s contract.

Earlier in the day, Adam Schefter, multiple teams are expected to inquire with the 49ers about a trade for Garoppolo today. However, Schefter says a source called the chances of a trade actually happening “remote.”

Tom Pelissero independently confirmed Schefter’s report that multiple teams will be interested and said the Patriots make logical sense. However, he says the wheels are not in motion on any deal between San Francisco and New England. 

Pelissero added that Garoppolo has a no-trade clause, which in addition to his $24.1 million base salary that any acquiring team would likely want to restructure, gives him a lot of say in the process and makes for some complicated logistics in any deal. 

With the 49ers taking a quarterback to be named later at No. 3 overall after making a massive trade up, Garoppolo’s days in San Francisco have clearly been numbered. The expectation around the league from other teams is that Garoppolo will be traded this week. 

Still, while the team has not ruled out a trade for him, their asking price of a first-round pick has been prohibitive so far, especially considering Garoppolo’s contract. 

If the 49ers are willing to lower that, perhaps a deal could be worked out with a team that misses out on a quarterback in the draft. 

Garoppolo, 29, is a former second-round pick of the Patriots back in 2014. The Patriots traded him to the 49ers in 2017 at the trade deadline in return for a 2018 second-round pick.

Garoppolo was in line to be an unrestricted free agent when the 49ers signed him to a five-year, $137.5 million contract during the 2018 offseason.

In 2020, Garoppolo appeared in six games for the 49ers and completed 67.1 percent of his passes for 1,096 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions.

We’ll have more regarding Garoppolo and 49ers as the news is available.