The Indianapolis Colts made a big splash during the offseason when they traded with the San Francisco 49ers for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner but it seems quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was almost a part of the deal.
Though that part of the trade never grew any legs, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported in his MMQB column that Garoppolo’s name came up during the trade talks last offseason.
Indianapolis seems like the natural landing spot for Stafford. The question, then, becomes whether GM Chris Ballard and coach Frank Reich would see Stafford as a Band-Aid or more than that. The team went with a Band-Aid last year, in Rivers, after taking a shot with Jacoby Brissett in 2019 (and that was after Jimmy Garoppolo’s name briefly came up in the DeForest Buckner trade talks with San Francisco).
That would have been an interesting move for the Colts. It would have meant they wouldn’t have signed Philip Rivers to a one-year deal and it likely would have cost a lot more than just the No. 13 pick in the 2020 draft.
On top of that Garoppolo underwhelmed throughout the 2020 season. He dealt with a nagging ankle injury and when he was on the field in his six games, he wasn’t all that impressive. Maybe he struggled to get into a rhythm due to the injuries and lack of playmakers, but that type of season wouldn’t have gone over well in Indy.
Regardless, it doesn’t really matter. Those trade talks never came to fruition, and the Colts went with Rivers, who had a strong final season.
Now, both the Colts and 49ers seem to be in the Matthew Stafford sweepstakes so it will be interesting to see what happens this offseason.
