This whole season, rumors have been circulating about San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Despite a Super Bowl appearance three seasons ago and a trip to the NFC Championship Game last year, the team was ready to move on to Trey Lance, the fast, strong-arm quarterback.
With the summer coming, Garoppolo hasn’t received much attention from the other teams. So, the Niners re-signed it, but with a pay cut; Garoppolo’s base salary went from $24 million to $6.5 million.
Now, thanks to the injury, he can earn up to $16 million this year.
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In the first quarter of a week two game for San Francisco, Lance broke his ankle. The injury will require end-of-season surgery, so Lance is shelved after five quarters of his first year as a start. This means Garoppolo will be relegated to the familiar role as the number one quarterback in the Niners series.
This also means that he can make millions, thanks to the various performance bonuses in his contract. In the second week, he earned $250,000 playing at least 25% of the team’s shots and $100,000 because the Niners won. If he keeps playing and the Niners keep winning, he can make millions.
That would be a great consolation prize to cut his salary, although Garoppolo is sympathetic to Lance’s position. Garoppolo tore his ACL in September 2018, and he underwent a lengthy rehab process to get back on the field. It’s the latest blow for Lance, who has already struggled with multiple injuries despite limited playing time throughout his career. In his first start, he sprained his left knee and broke a finger in a pre-season game.
Lance’s penchant for getting injured was a major factor in bringing the Niners back to Garoppolo. And now, the player turned backup will return in a familiar role for the rest of the season.
Years after getting close to the title, it would be the story line to come to an end for Garoppolo to win the Super Bowl in a season he started as backup. But this is a long way. Meanwhile, Garoppolo is focused on helping the Niners win. After all, every victory is extra money in his pocket.
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