Often-sought-after quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is headed to the Bay Area after a reported trade Monday between the 49ers and the Patriots
The fourth-year QB who backed up Tom Brady was traded to the 49ers for their second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, according to ESPN. "Major QB shakeup" is how Adam Schefter termed the deal before adding soon after that "another shoe drops" with San Francisco's reported release of Brian Hoyer.
Hoyer would have been included in the trade if not for reasons related to compensation draft picks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.
Shefter reported that the 49ers and Patriots started talking about a trade Monday morning and agreed by evening to swap Garoppolo, who is set to become a free agent after the season, for San Francisco's original second-round pick. (The 49ers also have the Saints' second-round selection from a previous trade.)
Garoppolo, 25, went 2-0 under center for New England last season while Brady was suspended, throwing five touchdowns against zero interceptions and compiling a QB Rating of 113.3 before hurting his shoulder.
Many will likely see this move as an indictment of rookie C.J. Beathard, whose performance impressed some but didn't lead to a win. The 49ers (0-8) shifted to Beathard in Week 6 after starting the season with Hoyer.
