San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was at the center of numerous trade rumors earlier this year. With the team moving up in the draft to supposedly select a new passer, his future with the organization was very much in question.
One potential trade destination for Garoppolo? His former team. The idea of him returning to the New England Patriots was mentioned repeatedly by analysts, even though a) the 49ers publicly stood behind their incumbent starting quarterback, and b) a trade would have made little fiscal sense from New England’s perspective.
And yet, the rumors persisted and even found their way into a new book by ESPN’s Seth Wickersham.