Jimmy Garoppolo almost became a Washington Commander

BOSTON -- Jimmy Garoppolo is the midst of a rather strange year.

Despite winning almost 70 percent of his starts as San Francisco's quarterback, he was politely shown the door by 49ers brass coming off last year's three-point loss in the NFC Championship Game. Yet the expected trade for Garoppolo never materialized, and the 49ers never released him. And now, with Trey Lance breaking his ankle last week, Garoppolo is once again the starting QB of the 49ers.

On Sunday, though, some new details emerged about a different path that Garoppolo could have headed down this year.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Washington Commanders had the parameters for a trade set up to acquire Garoppolo, However, that deal fell apart when Garoppolo opted to undergo surgery to repair his throwing shoulder.

The Commanders, of course, ended up trading for Carson Wentz. Now, Garoppolo will remain the Niners' starter for the year, and he's set to become a free agent next spring at age 31.

Garoppolo's career has largely been defined by unplanned twists and turns. He was drafted by the Patriots in 2014, a selection which most figured to be a signal that the Patriots were planning for life after Tom Brady. But Brady ended up outlasting Garoppolo, leading to the Patriots trading the QB to San Francisco in 2017. He was given a massive contract but suffered a season-ending knee injury just three games into his 2018 season. He was healthy for the entirety of the 2019 season, helping the 49ers to a Super Bowl berth, but injuries cut his 2020 season short at just six games.