The 49ers’ decision to keep Jimmy Garoppolo shocked many fans, but Trey Lance’s reaction to the news might surprise some people.
What the San Francisco 49ers would eventually do with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has been a topic of discussion (and contention at some points) all offseason. The plan has long been to hand the keys of the offense to second-year signal-caller Trey Lance but what that meant for Jimmy G and where he would land was unknown.
On Monday, however, we got the answer as San Francisco agreed to a new, restructured contract with the veteran quarterback that will keep him with the Niners in the 2022 season.
There’s an argument to be made that this decision is the 49ers showing a lack of faith in Lance that he can be the franchise quarterback they drafted him to be. But head coach Kyle Shanahan said that the second-year player was not in that crowd and had a much, much different reaction to the news.
49ers: Trey Lance called Jimmy Garoppolo’s return ‘awesome’ for young QB
Shanahan told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Lance’s reaction to Garoppolo returning was that of excitement as he told the head coach that Jimmy G was “awesome” for the quarterback in his rookie season.
That’s about as good of a reaction from Trey Lance as the 49ers could hope for. And if Garoppolo is indeed a great mentor to Lance and continues to be, that’s even better for the franchise.
Having said that, the team has painted themselves somewhat into a corner. If they start Lance as predicted and he shows early signs of struggling, having Garoppolo on the roster could be a burden as there will be calls for him to take back over the offense. On the flip side, however, he offers tremendous injury insurance.
The 49ers offseason began with a fascinating eye on the quarterback room. And with Garoppolo back in the fold, the gaze isn’t going anywhere.