49ers acquire Jimmy Garoppolo from Patriots, send 2018 second-round pick

Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the New England Patriots reacts before a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium on October 29, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

The 49ers desperately need a quarterback moving forward and they may have just landed the one for the future. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the 49ers are involved in trade that sends a 2018 second-round draft pick to the Patriots in exchange for Jimmy Garoppolo. 

Garoppolo was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2014 draft. His success when he stood in for a suspended Tom Brady last season improved his value drastically. For his career, he's completed 63 of 94 passes for 690 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. 

The move suggests the Patriots are confident with Brady playing well into his 40s, as there was a belief that Garoppolo would be secured as Brady's successor.  On the other side of the trade, the move essentially puts an end to the discussion of whether or not the 49ers would pursue Redskins’ Kirk Cousins this coming offseason.

The 49ers are winless (0-8). Veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer started the first give games for the 49ers before rookie C.J. Beathard took over. Neither look like the right fit for a rebuild. Beathard is young, shows grit and physical toughness, but lacks arm strength and the game seems too fast for him. Moving forward, Beathard is a great backup, and easily has a role somewhere, if not in San Francisco. 
 

Schefter reports that the 49ers will release Hoyer once the trade is finalized. 
The move leaves Brady as the lone quarterback on the Patriots roster. Picking up a free agent or bringing someone up from the practice squad is highly likely.