OPINION: Does the Dolphins-49ers Trade Open the Door for a Possible New England Patriots Homecoming for Jimmy Garoppolo?

When Jimmy Garoppolo was drafted by the New England Patriots back in 2014, he was seen as the eventual successor to Tom Brady as the starting QB of the franchise. 

But of course, Tom Brady is one-of-a-kind, and he ended up outlasting his apparent successor in New England. This, however, never really closed the door on the opportunity of a possible return. 

The quarterback was eventually traded to the San Francisco 49ers ahead of the 2017 season. This was done even though he had a stellar 7-0 starting record as QB for the Patriots.

And as we said before, the rumors of him returning never quite died out. After Brady left as a free agent ahead of the 2020 season, Garoppolo was touted as a serious contender for the New England Patriots starting QB role once again.

The franchise though opted to go for Cam Newton. While Newton has signed a year-long contract with the Patriots yet again, the rumors mill has started turning.

And now, they’ve only picked up pace following the crazy sequence of draft trades made by the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers traded a bunch of high-rated draft picks with the Dolphins to move up to the #3 spot in the 2021 NFL Draft, a draft pick many believe the franchise will use to draft a new QB.

So what happens to Jimmy Garoppolo? Surely a trade for the QB is on the cards. And would the New England Patriots be interested in making the move?

A Jimmy Garoppolo trade, possible yet unlikely

The Patriots would ideally be a perfect place to return for Jimmy Garoppolo. He knows the franchise and has been coached by Head Coach Bill Belichick in the past. But most importantly is well accustomed to the Patriots’ way.

But the question to ask is whether the 49ers would still be willing to trade their starting QB. So far, according to reports, the answer is surprisingly no. 

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NFL insider Adam Schefter recently tweeted that sources suggest Jimmy Garoppolo is set to stay put in San Francisco for 2021. But that might not be for long. 

If the 49ers do draft a new QB, he surely will get the nod to start sooner or later. After all, the franchise let go of four draft picks for the player. Including three first-rounders.

This would of course relegate Jimmy Garoppolo into a backup QB. Not something he’d be happy about after guiding his team to the Super Bowl a little over a year ago.

If the Patriots don’t draft a QB in this draft class and refuse to extend Cam Newton’s contract in 2022, then the situation would be perfect for a reunion. 

So by the looks of it, Jimmy Garoppolo is set to stay on the West Coast for at least one more season. But a lot of how the future pans out depends on the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.

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