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The 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo-Trey Lance situation is good and awful

By Lou Scataglia

August 14, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (5) and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) warm up before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
August 14, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (5) and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) warm up before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jimmy Garoppolo is staying in San Francisco for the 2022 season as the backup to Trey Lance. This is both an excellent and awful idea.  The team essentially made Garoppolo the highest-paid backup in the NFL, with a guaranteed salary of $6.5 million that can climb to $10 million.  It’s a nice payday for Garoppolo to not get hit and hold the clipboard, but I think this idea has its pros and cons for the 49ers.

Trey Lance was seen as a raw prospect out of college who hardly attempted any passes and was drafted at 20 years old.  He could still be seen as needing more reps than a typical rookie would, even as he enters his second season.

In limited action in 2021, he played about as well as you could hope for, but it’s clear that he’s being given the keys to the franchise in year two.  Some reports haven’t been too flattering about Lance’s offseason performance, which calls into question whether or not he’s truly ready.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Lance struggles a ton in year two but perhaps begins to put it together in year three.  So, why is keeping Garoppolo as the backup a good and terrible idea?

The Pros and Cons of the 49ers Trey Lance-Jimmy Garoppolo QB room

The pros are simple to see, in my opinion.  Trey Lance is going to be the week one starter, but it’s clear that he might not be ready yet.  The 49ers have a loaded roster in a NFC West that got a bit weaker over the offseason.  They made the NFC Championship game last year with virtually the same roster that they’re bringing into 2022.

I’d also say the clock is slowly but surely beginning to tick on Kyle Shanahan.  That might be a wildly unpopular opinion, but he still has a losing record as a head coach and hasn’t been able to break through.

If Lance struggles to the point of dragging the entire team down, they’ll simply bench him.  Fortunately, their backup, Jimmy Garoppolo, has been around the block a few times, so he’d likely steady the ship for them.  There’s no use in sticking with Lance as the starter even if he struggles with this insanely talented roster.

If the 49ers were rebuilding, Lance wouldn’t leave the field, but they have one of the top rosters in the NFL and a chance to win it all this year.  Naturally, they should play the quarterback that gives them the best chance.  If Trey Lance can’t handle the NFL yet, Garoppolo should get promoted to QB1.

This is also a terrible idea as having Garoppolo breathing down Lance’s neck could also create a scenario where Lance feels more pressure than he needs to play well.  He might feel like his leash is a lot shorter than if Garoppolo wasn’t on the team, which could bring his play down.

Lance turned 22 just four months ago.  He’s still a rookie, and more than two full years younger than Kenny Pickett.  He likely will struggle in year two, and I’m curious to see how the 49ers approach this situation.