NFL Rumors: Niners May Consider Keeping Super Bowl QB With Replacement Still Raw

After one NFL season, it remains unknown if Trey Lance is ready to take his spot as the San Francisco 49ers' new starting quarterback.

Jimmy Garoppolo carried the Niners last season in what most saw more as an audition of the two-time Super Bowler. But with San Francisco falling short yet again, critics feel that it is time to move on from the 30-year-old and start a whole new era with Trey Lance.

While that makes sense, questions are in the air on whether the 21-year-old is ready to step up to the starting quarterback role and deliver good results.

In the eyes of American scribe Adam Schefter, Lance appears to be someone who is still a work-in-progress and such raises questions if the Niners are ready to take a chance on him at quarterback.

Schefter aired his take when he appeared in an interview with Ari Meirov, dropping some interesting takes on the San Francisco 49ers.

Given that scenario, Schefter believed that there may be a chance that Garoppolo returns for the 49ers but on a one-year deal. However, this would be an expensive resort considering the 30-year-old is due $24.2 million in 2022.

It would be best to note that for 2021, Garoppolo had a no-trade clause in his act. But for 2022, he can be officially dealt to another team starting Mar. 16, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports explained.

So while most are writing off Garoppolo as imminently headed to a new team, it may not be the case. It all boils down to what Niners coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have in mind.

Maiocco stressed how the plan was to shift to Trey Lance all along and that Garoppolo is not their guy of the future. But that included Lance having accustomed himself to the NFL brand of football which critics feel has not come to full circle.

“That’s the thing that makes this whole quarterback situation for the 49ers so fascinating because they are devoting a heck of a lot of money and salary cap space to Jimmy Garoppolo while also signaling to everybody that he is not the guy for the future. It’s going to be Trey Lance. It’s just a matter on when they make that decision when to go with Trey Lance over Jimmy Garoppolo,” Maiocco explained when he appeared on the Sports for All PH podcast in July.