Patriots deal QB Jimmy Garoppolo to 49ers for 2018 draft pick
— -- The San Francisco 49ers have traded a 2018 second-round draft pick for New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday night.
San Francisco had two second-round picks, but the one traded for Garoppolo is its original second-round pick, a source said.
The 49ers and Patriots began discussing the trade Monday morning and by evening the trade was officially agreed upon. The 49ers have also decided to release veteran quarterback? Brian Hoyer, a source told Schefter.
Garoppolo, 25, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the season. The 49ers are likely to keep him by signing him to a new deal or tagging him as their franchise player.
That would mean Washington Redskins?quarterback Kirk Cousins will have one less landing spot in free agency.?
The Patriots would seem to have bought into the idea that Tom Brady can play well into his 40s and are left without a backup at quarterback, having traded Jacoby Brissett to the Indianapolis Colts in September for receiver Phillip Dorsett.
The Patriots are on their bye week, during which they will have extra time to find a backup via trade or free agency. They will have until Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline to explore that avenue.
Brady, speaking?in his weekly Monday night Westwood One radio interview, said he wasn't sure of New England's plans.
"I really don't know," Brady said. "I've been at home all day and learned the news at home. That's up for everyone else to decide. My job is quarterback and that's what I'm focused on."
Brady said he hoped Garoppolo will make a good starting quarterback for the 49ers.
"He's put in all the effort," Brady said. "I've watched him for 3? years and really enjoyed working with him. Hopefully he goes on and does a great job."
Garoppolo started New England's first two games in 2016 amid Brady's four-game "Deflategate" suspension before spraining his shoulder. Garoppolo was 42-for-59 passing with four touchdowns and no interceptions in the two wins for the eventual Super Bowl champions. For Garoppolo, a second-round pick in the 2014 draft by the Patriots out of Eastern Illinois, it has been his only significant playing time in the NFL.
The 49ers chose not to seek a potential long-term quarterback solution in the offseason, instead signing Hoyer and using a third-round pick on C.J. Beathard.
Hoyer started the first six games but was benched in favor of Beathard in the team's loss to Washington on Oct. 16. Beathard has started the past two games but didn't fare much better than Hoyer as the Niners lost to Dallas and Philadelphia by a combined 53 points to drop to 0-8 for the first time in franchise history.
Still, the trade for Garoppolo comes as a surprise if only because most Niners quarterback speculation centered on Cousins, who could become a free agent in March and has longstanding ties to San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan.
In trading for Garoppolo now, the 49ers have the chance to get him into Shanahan's system and control his rights with the franchise or transition tag should they be unable to sign him to a long-term contract extension.
Information from ESPN's Nick Wagoner was used in this report.
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