Where is Jimmy Garoppolo playing in 2023? 3 best landing spots for the quarterback in NFL Free Agency

The San Francisco 49ers coaching staff has decided to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo to prioritize the development of Trey Lance and Brock Purdy. The man affectionately known as Jimmy G had a good run with the 49ers, but as they say, all things must end, even the good ones.

As such, Jimmy G will be looking for a new franchise to call home for the 2023-24 NFL season. Here are three of the best destinations for the two-time Super Bowl champ. May the most enthusiastic franchise win?

#1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

You may have probably heard about this sentiment, and so have we. Jimmy Garoppolo was drafted into the NFL to be the heir to Tom Brady's throne in New England, but that wasn't possible as Brady defeated father time.

Brady has now retired from the NFL following three years at the Bucs, so who's in the best position to succeed him in Florida? That's right, Jimmy Garoppolo, of course.

Jimmy G would be a smart pick-up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as he is a much better quarterback than the QBs they currently have on their rosters.

Say what you want about Jimmy G, the fact remains that he is the only multiple Super Bowl-winning QB in the league as of the time of writing. Moreover, he helped take the San Francisco 49ers to one Super Bowl and numerous Conference Championships.

He knows how to play football, and pairing him with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans would be brilliant. A couple of seasons from a safe QB like Jimmy G would be helpful to the Bucs as they look to remain in the playoff picture.

#2 New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints have a dumpster fire situation at quarterback, with all their options being red flags. First off, there's Jameis Winston, a decent talent, yes, but a player riddled with injuries.

Then there's Andy Dalton, a quarterback with his best years behind him and one who shouldn't be a starter on a team with playoff aspirations. Lastly, there's Taysom Hill, a versatile player whose worst position is probably quarterback.

The Saints will need a bridge quarterback for the 2023 season, and Jimmy Garoppolo is tailor-made for such a role.

Jimmy G has been there, he has done that, and he represents a significant improvement on the current options at the center. The only drawback is that he might want to get paid a healthy sum, and whether the Saints can pull that off remains to be seen.

However, if the Saints are willing to give it a shot, Jimmy Garoppolo could be a shoo-in to thrive in head coach Dennis Allen's safe, quick-passing offense.

#3 Las Vegas Raiders

Las Vegas Raiders' head coach Josh McDaniels and Jimmy Garoppolo have history. Almost 10 years ago, McDaniels handpicked Jimmy G to be Tom Brady's future replacement while they were at the New England Patriots.

As mentioned above, that succession plan didn't work, but Jimmy G still went on to have a solid, if not spectacular, NFL career.

These days, Josh McDaniels is the coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, a side about to discard their nine-year franchise QB in Derek Carr.

While the Raiders were initially optimistic that they could coerce Tom Brady to play at least one season in Las Vegas, it's clear that this is off the table. So, McDaniels and the Raiders can go for the next best thing by signing Jimmy Garoppolo, a player once seen as Brady's heir.

Garoppolo can operate decently within an offense, and he should be a natural in McDaniels’ scheme after spending three years with him in New England.