Jimmy Garoppolo becomes highest-paid player in the NFL, signing five-year $137.5m contract with San Francisco

The former Patriot, who was traded to San Francisco for a 2019 2nd-round pick, will reset the quarterback market with this mammoth deal

Jimmy Garoppolo turned around the 49ers' season (Getty 2017)

Jimmy Garoppolo has signed a contract with the San Francisco 49ers that makes him the highest-paid player in the NFL, despite starting just seven games in his four-year career.

The 26-year-old signal-caller was traded to the struggling California franchise before October's deadline after his agent, Don Yee, indicated that Garoppolo was not prepared to stay with the New England Patriots as Tom Brady's back-up, a role that has won him two Super Bowl rings.

With Brady's intention of playing deep into his 40s, it meant the Patriots needed to get a return for the QB they drafted at the end of round two in the 2014 NFL Draft.

After arriving in San Francisco, however, Garoppolo set the league aflame under offensive guru Kyle Shanahan and immediately became the face and future of the storied 49er franchise.

Garoppolo started five games, throwing for 1560 yards with a 67.4% pass completion rate and seven touchdowns. His seven career starts have all resulted in victory.

Top-paid QBs

Average salary per year

Garoppolo (SF) $27.5m

Stafford (Det) $27m

Carr (Oak) $25m

Luck (Ind) $24.6m

Flacco (Bal) $22.1m

With such a talented quarterback to build around and plenty of salary cap space, San Francisco general manager John Lynch moved quickly to tie up Garoppolo and ended up offering the Illinois native a record-breaking $137.5m over five years. That is the biggest contract in NFL history on an average-per-year basis, surpassing the deal signed by Detroit's Matthew Stafford in 2017.

It is good news for impending free agent QB Kirk Cousins, who can expect to break that record again when he signs on with a team after leaving Washington.