A pair of high-profile starting quarterbacks underwent shoulder surgery this week including Jimmy Garoppolo from the San Francisco 49ers and Dak Prescott from the Dallas Cowboys, but the Jimmy G injury is the biggest story because he will not be able to throw any balls in the offseason for at least 16 weeks while his shoulder heals.
The surgical unit is always busy for NFL players during the offseason with players going under the knife to repair injuries occurred from the previous season.
In these instances, Jimmy G suffered a shoulder injury in the playoffs when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card. Meanwhile, Prescott opted for surgery on his non-throwing shoulder to clean up a lingering injury that nagged him all season.
Fans are now speculating if Prescott’s shoulder injury was one of the reasons the Cowboys looked awful in late November and early December. Head coach Mike McCarthy indicated that the shoulder injury and subsequent surgery had nothing to do with slump when Prescott the Cowboys went 1-3 including an overtime loss against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thanksgiving.
The Cowboys and 49ers are both +1400 odds to win Super Bowl 57, according to the NFL futures board at DraftKings.
Jimmy G and the Curious Case of the Shoulder Capsule
During the postseason, everyone was focused on Jimmy G’s ailing right thumb. He had painkiller injections so he could grip and throw the ball without feeling intense pain. However, the public was not aware about a shoulder injury, which Jimmy G tweaked against the Cowboys.
In three playoff games, Jimmy G completed only 58.1% of his passes for 535 yards and just two touchdowns. He was picked off three times. He passed for 131 yards and zero touchdowns in an upset victory for the 49ers over the #1 Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Round.
The bum shoulder was diagnosed as a capsule injury, which Jimmy and doctors determined surgery was the only possible route.
“It’s a capsule issue in the back of his shoulder than you can try to rehab, but if it doesn’t get well with the rehab then you go to the alternative route and that’s what they’ve decided to do,” said San Francisco general manager John Lynch.
The good news is that it’s not serious enough to deter teams for looking to acquire Jimmy G in a trade with the 49ers. He will have to not use this shoulder for over four months after the surgery, so Jimmy G will not pick up a football until July.
“So, it’s going to take some time but he’s gonna be fine,” added Lynch.
Trade Rumors: Jimmy G in DC?
Jimmy G is set to earn $24.2 million with the 49ers this season. The 49ers leveraged their future and traded up in the 2021 NFL Draft to acquire Trey Lance, so it makes good business sense to part ways with Jimmy G in a trade.
Saw whatever you want about Jimmy G, when he’s healthy and in the lineup leads his team to victories. The 49ers went 31-14 in the last five seasons with Jimmy G as their starting quarterback.
The Washington Commanders have been linked as a future landing spot for Jimmy G all season. There are a slew of other teams that need a new quarterback including the Tampa Bay Bucs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, and Carolina Panthers.
Tom Brady retired and the Bucs are on the spot to find a new quarterback. Bruce Arians likes Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson, but Jimmy G could be an option if the Seahawks decide to not trade Wilson and Watson joins the Miami Dolphins instead.
The Panthers are so desperate for a quarterback and have no faith in Sam Darnold that they’re interested in Kirk Cousins from the Minnesota Vikings. The Colts want to move on from Carson Wentz and feel as though they’re just one good quarterback away from a legit Super Bowl run. The Pittsburgh Steelers need someone to replace Ben Roethlisberger after he retired, but were linked to Wilson.