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Trey Lance gets his shot with 49ers with Garoppolo injured

By Cody Williams

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 03: Trey Lance #5 of the San Francisco 49ers throws the ball during pregame against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium on October 03, 2021 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 03: Trey Lance #5 of the San Francisco 49ers throws the ball during pregame against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium on October 03, 2021 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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49ers fans have seen glimpses of rookie quarterback Trey Lance but they got a full dose in Week 4 with Jimmy Garoppol unable to go due to an injury.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan hadn’t necessarily been keeping rookie quarterback Trey Lance in the locker room in a cocoon of bubble wrap prior to Week 4. However, we’d only seen the No. 3 overall pick from this year’s draft in red-zone situations for sporadic plays. Against Seattle, though, we got a bigger taste.

Coming out of halftime, starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo had a clipboard and no helmet as Trey Lance took the field. It was then reported that the veteran had suffered a calf injury and was listed as questionable to return. But the focus was undoubtedly on the rookie getting his shot.

Unfortunately, there weren’t immediate fireworks. Seven plays to start the second half for Lance were five run plays and two incomplete passes. Yet, there are still opportunities moving forward.

Will Trey Lance be the 49ers starting QB moving forward?

Barring a superstar performance from Trey Lance, it’s hard to think that Shanahan would have a change of heart and start the rookie over a healthy Garoppolo. The upside with the North Dakota State product is higher than with the veteran option but so is the variance. That’s the trade right now for a young, inexperienced quarterback coming out of the FCS level in college football.

No matter if it was the 49ers or another team that drafted Lance, the plan would almost surely have been to wait and let some development take place. With that said, it’s hard for NFL fans to be patient, especially in a situation like San Francisco where many believe they have a Super Bowl-caliber roster but the quarterback has a defined ceiling with Jimmy G at the helm.

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We’ll have to wait and see what happens with Trey Lance beyond Week 4 but he finally got his shot to show what he can do in the matchup against Seattle, the moment many fans in the Bay Area had eagerly been waiting for.