Even though the NFL is on its Super Bowl Bye week, the rumor mill is still going strong. Quarterbacks are the focus of the offseason, with names like Deshaun Watson, Matthew Stafford and potentially Aaron Rodgers available via trade.
The San Francisco 49ers are one of the teams mentioned as a possible destination for all three QBs, but one Las Vegas sportsbook has them pegged as the favorites to land one of the big fish in the sea.
Bovada lists the Niners at +325 to acquire Stafford from the Detroit Lions. Here are the odds for eight other teams:
Odds for what team Matthew Stafford will be on for Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season (Bovada):
49ers +325
Broncos +450
Colts +450
Lions +550
Patriots +500
Washington +650
Panthers +900
Raiders +1000
Rams +1100
Texans +1200— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) January 27, 2021
Of course, the betting market is all based on speculation. We haven’t heard directly from general manager John Lynch or head coach Kyle Shanahan that the 49ers are shopping for a new QB. Jimmy Garoppolo is still on the roster and has a $26.2 million cap hit for 2021. San Francisco can cut Garoppolo and only have $2.8 million in dead money.
Stafford’s cap hit with his new team will be $20 million for next season. The 32-year-old completed 64.2% of his passes with a bad Lions team in 2020, throwing for 4,084 yards, 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Historically, Vegas odds haven’t necessarily been right on some recent big names in free agency.
Here is where oddsmakers had Tom Brady signing during free agency in 2020:
2020 Tom Brady free agency odds (via William Hill)
Patriots -130
Buccaneers +150
Field +700
Chargers +800
Raiders +1500
2020 odds to sign Le’Veon Bell
2018 odds to sign Kirk Cousins
Broncos -150
Jets +300
Browns +400
Cardinals +500
Bills +1000
Giants +2000
Jaguars +2000
Dolphins +2000
2012 Peyton Manning free agency odds
Dolphins – even
Broncos +300
Cardinals +400
Chiefs +600
49ers + 1000
Texans +1000
Oddsmakers were close on Brady and Manning but way off on Cousins and Bell.
It’s going to be an interesting few months as we wait for the quarterback market to settle. Watson remains the biggest prize due to his age but Stafford wouldn’t be a bad consolation for any team looking to upgrade the position.
For now, Garoppolo is the only quarterback the Niners have under contract for 2021. It remains to be seen if that is still the case come March.