On the morning of Monday, October 30, 2017, the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers started talking about Jimmy Garoppolo. By that evening they had a deal. The Patriots sent Tom Brady’s backup to the winless 49ers for a 2018 second-round draft pick, a day before the trade deadline, and the move shaped both franchises for years.
An 0-8 team and a backup in his last contract year
San Francisco had just lost to Philadelphia 33-10 to fall to 0-8, the first time in franchise history it had started that badly. First-year coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch had opened the season with Brian Hoyer at quarterback, then turned to rookie C.J. Beathard. The Patriots were 6-2 and heading into their bye week after beating the Chargers.
Garoppolo, 25, was a 2014 second-round pick out of Eastern Illinois. He had started only two NFL games, the first two of 2016 while Brady served his four-game suspension, and won both. He completed 42 of 59 passes for four touchdowns and no interceptions before a sprained shoulder against Miami ended his run. He was in the final year of his rookie contract, and Brady, at 40, was still playing at a high level.
That morning, Bill Belichick told reporters that trade talk could change “literally in a period of minutes.” The deal was agreed by that night and announced on Tuesday, October 31, the day of the 4 p.m. Eastern deadline. San Francisco gave up its own second-round pick, not the extra one it had picked up from New Orleans in a draft-day trade.
What they said
“Jimmy is a player we have researched extensively since Kyle and I joined the 49ers,” Lynch said in a statement. “He has had the rare opportunity to sit and learn from a future Hall of Fame quarterback in a championship atmosphere.”
Brady said he learned of the trade at home. “I’ve watched him for three and a half years and really enjoyed working with him,” he said that Monday night. “Hopefully he goes on and does a great job.” The 49ers released Hoyer, and he went back to New England as Brady’s backup.
Five starts, five wins
Shanahan kept Beathard as the starter while Garoppolo learned the offense. Garoppolo’s first snaps for San Francisco came late in a 24-13 home loss to Seattle on November 26. He came in with 1:07 left and threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Louis Murphy on the final play.
He made his first start a week later at Chicago and threw for 293 yards. Robbie Gould kicked five field goals, the last a 24-yarder in the final seconds, and the 49ers won 15-14. They did not lose again that season.
| Date | Game | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 3, 2017 | 49ers at Bears | W 15-14 |
| Dec. 10, 2017 | 49ers at Texans | W 26-16 |
| Dec. 17, 2017 | Titans at 49ers | W 25-23 |
| Dec. 24, 2017 | Jaguars at 49ers | W 44-33 |
| Dec. 31, 2017 | 49ers at Rams | W 34-13 |
The record contract and the Super Bowl
On February 8, 2018, the 49ers signed Garoppolo to a five-year contract worth $137.5 million. Its average of $27.5 million a year was the highest in NFL history at the time, $500,000 more than Matthew Stafford’s deal with Detroit.
His first full season lasted three games. He suffered a season-ending knee injury at Kansas City on September 23, 2018. A year later he led San Francisco to a 13-3 record and the NFC title. The 49ers led Super Bowl LIV in the fourth quarter before losing to the Chiefs 31-20. After the 2021 season, he started the NFC Championship Game, which the 49ers lost to the Rams 20-17.
His last big moment with the team set up the next era. On December 4, 2022, he broke his foot on the first drive against Miami. Brock Purdy, the last pick of that year’s draft, replaced him and threw two touchdown passes in a 33-17 win. Garoppolo signed with the Raiders as a free agent in March 2023.
| Number | Detail |
|---|---|
| 38-17 | 49ers’ regular season record in Garoppolo’s starts, 2017 to 2022 |
| 4-2 | Playoff record in his starts, including Super Bowl LIV |
| $137.5 million | His five-year contract in February 2018, then a record $27.5 million a year |
| 43 | Where the second-round pick San Francisco traded landed in the 2018 draft |
| 0-8 | The 49ers’ record on the day of the trade, the worst start in team history |
Where the pick went
The pick San Francisco traded ended up No. 43 overall. On the second night of the 2018 draft, the Patriots traded it to Detroit, which was now coached by former New England defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. The Lions took Auburn running back Kerryon Johnson and sent picks No. 51 and No. 117 to New England. The Patriots kept trading. They sent No. 51 to Chicago for a 2019 second-round pick and a 2018 fourth-rounder.
Why it still matters this week
This season’s trade deadline is Tuesday, November 10, at 4 p.m. Eastern. The Garoppolo deal remains the model for a contender selling a young quarterback and a struggling team buying one before the market opens. San Francisco’s current quarterback is Purdy, the player who took over when Garoppolo got hurt. He has the 49ers at 6-0 heading into Sunday’s game at Atlanta.
Related WhyNFL reading: the 2026 trade deadline calendar.
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