The quarterback controversy is heating up in San Francisco, and Jimmy Garoppolo’s starting job is not safe.
Rookie Trey Lance has had a strong training camp to open his career, showcasing his elite arm strength and athleticism. Which has opened the door for him to surpass Garoppolo and steal his starting spot.
“That’s up to Kyle. That’s up to our head coach,” San Francisco GM John Lynch said on the “Murph & Mac” show. “He makes the decisions on who’s playing and what not. But I think it’s Jimmy’s right now and Trey’s pushing. I think that’s where it’s at.”
On Thursday, The Athletic reported that Lance led a 60-yard touchdown drive in practice. He started off slow by throwing an incomplete pass and then having a ball batted down at the line of scrimmage, but then he settled in and completed a pass over the middle through traffic to Jalen Hurd for a first down.
Yet again, Lance threw a couple of errant throws before threading a pass through the middle of the defense to tight end Ross Dwelley for a 20-yard touchdown.
Like any rookie, the 21-year-old had ups and downs throughout the offseason but has flashed serious potential. He finished 4-of-8 on the drive and 8-of-15 in 11-on-11s.
“He’s been awesome. He’s been everything we thought he would be and more. He was good from day one when he walked in here in the offseason, and I think a testament to what we thought he was and his work ethic,” Lynch said.
Lance was taken with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft after the 49ers gave up three first-round picks to move up from the No. 12 spot to draft him.
Coming out of North Dakota State, Lance only started in just 17 games in three seasons. He only played in one game in 2021 before opting out of the season due to COVID-19.
In his collegiate career, he threw for 2,947 yards, 30 touchdowns, and only one interception. He also added 1,325 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has planned for Garoppolo to start in the preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he will only get one series. Lance is expected to play the rest of the first half. There are numerous things that Shanahan wants to see from the quarterback in his debut, but if he plays well, it leaves the door opener for that starting conversation.
“I want to see him take command of the huddle. There actually will be a play clock out there. Just being aware of that. You know, sometimes you get comfortable when you miss a play call or something…
“It’s also tough when you’re playing with a lot of guys who it’s their first time too. So, you’ve got to help people out a little bit, but he’s going to have a lot on his plate, and I’m just excited to see how he handles it,” Shanahan said.