With the 2022 NFL season drawing nearer, most quarterbacks already have an idea of what the future holds for them come September. Except for Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo, whose future with their respective teams remains up in the air.
While a departure seems inevitable for both, neither the Cleveland Browns nor the San Francisco 49ers have so far found a way to part ways with them. And as the months go by, this becomes an even more problematic situation.
Both Mayfield and Garoppolo look done with their teams, but in the meantime, they're carrying a lot of cap space just to warm the bench when the season starts. Given how hard it's become to find a trade partner, the Browns and Niners could eventually give up and cut them, something they've been avoiding all these months.
Rumor: Browns, 49ers will 'likely' end up releasing Mayfield, Garoppolo
Dan Graziano of ESPN reported that belief around the league is that both the Browns and 49ers will eventually put this situation to an end by cutting both Mayfield and Garoppolo, respectively.
"The majority of the people to whom I spoke for this story believe both players will likely end up being released," Graziano wrote. "A couple of people thought Garoppolo might still draw trade interest, provided an acquiring team could work out something to knock down the salary or spread it out over a couple of years."
Neither Mayfield nor Garoppolo is expected to return to their respective teams, but moving on from them has been an uphill battle thus far. Both are due a lot of money and there are not many potential landing spots out there besides the Panthers and Seahawks, who both seem to be fine with staying with their current signal-callers if the Browns and Niners don't change their terms. So unless they lower their demands, both teams could find themselves with no option but to release them.
