Ever since Trey Lance went third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, San Francisco 49ers fans have been calling for him to be the Week 1 starter.
The 49ers did trade two first-round picks to move up and take Lance.
Lance’s upside is undeniable as pundits have lauded Lance for his athleticism, play-making ability and his ability to not turn over the football.
Furthermore, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com reported that numerous coaches in the league felt that Lance was one of the smartest quarterbacks in the draft.
“Coaches rave about his football IQ and film work. They believe he will come into the league more football savvy than most of the quarterbacks in this draft.”
One of the knocks on Lance is that he was only a one-year starter at an FCS school in North Dakota State University.
However, in that 2019 season, Lance completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 2,786 yards and a 28/0 TD/INT ratio.
He added 169 rushes for 1,100 yards and 14 scores.
Clearly, the 49ers see Lance’s upside and think he can be the team’s quarterback of the future.
The only thing standing in the way is fellow quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
All offseason, head coach Kyle Shanahan has insisted that Garoppolo is the team’s starting quarterback.
Garoppolo has been with the 49ers since 2017, appearing in 31 games and having a respectable 22-8 record.
That included an undefeated 5-0 run in 2017 and a 13-3 record that led San Francisco to the Super Bowl in 2019.
However, Garoppolo has battled injuries and has appeared in more than six games just once through his four-year tenure thus far.
In fact, Garoppolo has appeared in more than six games just once in his entire seven-year career.
Garoppolo has one year remaining on his five-year, $137 million deal and it would make sense for the 49ers to let Lance sit behind their pricey quarterback to learn the rigors of the NFL.
That’s what Patrick Mahomes did for his first season behind Alex Smith.
But it wasn’t long ago that the 49ers were competing for a Super Bowl.
If they want to return back to the upper echelon, Lance gives them to best chance to do so and “the quarterback of the future” must become the quarterback of the present.
Recent History
Last season was a down year for the 49ers.
They went just 6-10, missing the playoffs after appearing in the Super Bowl the year prior.
San Francisco had the No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, before trading it to Miami.
But even with last year’s struggles the 49ers aren’t far removed from being one of the best teams in the NFL.
San Francisco dealt with a myriad of injuries last season.
Heading into Week 9, the 49ers had $80 million worth of contracts on IR with players such as Nick Bosa, George Kittle, Dee Ford, Raheem Mostert, and Garoppolo all on the sidelines.
All of those players should be back in 2021, which will be a boon overall for San Fran.
Furthermore, when the Niners went to the Super Bowl in 2019, their defense ranked second in the NFL with just 4,509 yards allowed.
The point is, if San Francisco’s defense can return to form and their injured players come back healthy, the 49ers could be a quarterback away from once again reaching the playoffs.
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Last season, Garoppolo appeared in just six games, throwing for 1,096 yards and a 7/5 TD/INT ratio.
The 49ers went 3-3.
Through his tenure in San Francisco, Garoppolo has missed time due to a torn ACL and a high ankle sprain.
It’s hard to fault the quarterback for any injuries, but overall, consistency is any athlete’s best trait.
Garoppolo’s one shining moment came in 2019, as not only did the 49ers go 13-3 and win the NFC Championship, but the Niners’ quarterback helped led the team to an 8-0 start.
In that season, Garoppolo threw for 3,978 yards and a 27/13 TD/INT ratio.
Garoppolo hasn’t necessarily been a terrible quarterback for the 49ers, but he does not have the play-making ability that Lance does.
The 49ers understood that when they took Lance to be Garoppolo’s replacement.
While Garoppolo did have success with the team two seasons ago, he has still missed 23 games in three seasons and can’t be counted on to lead San Francisco for a whole year.
With Lance, the 49ers have an exciting young quarterback prospect who can create plays on his own and revitalize the team’s entire offense.
Lance’s Performance
Coming out of NDSU, most fans and draft pundits agreed Lance was a special talent.
QB Trey Lance’s first TD for NDSU. #49ers pic.twitter.com/D5xcm9xUDn
— 49er_Edits (@49er_edits) April 6, 2021
He had an opportunity to see his first live NFL action in the 49ers’ Week 1 19-16 preseason loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
There, he completed five-of-14 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown.
Shanahan said that Lance had, “some good and some bad,” in his preseason debut.
Lance made headlines with his 80-yard touchdown pass to Trent Sherfield, showing off his potential.
WELCOME TO THE NFL, TREY LANCE 🎯
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/P1p8WtTNpF
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 15, 2021
There’s certainly room for improvement with Lance, as he took four sacks and didn’t show the tantalizing running potential he had had at NDSU.
But an 80-yard bomb aside, at times, Lance showed he can stand in the pocket and make the correct read, helping move the chains.
This might’ve been Trey Lance’s most impressive throw yesterday. Third down, pressure flashing, quickly sets his feet and puts the ball on a line directly to Richie James’ hands. Doesn’t get better. #49ers pic.twitter.com/NQIkvdfzrY
— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) August 15, 2021
Garoppolo has the experience and likely will end up being the 49ers’ starting quarterback come Week 1.
However, if San Francisco wants to return to the postseason, they need the quarterback that will keep defensive coordinators up at night.
The 49ers’ defense has a chance to be one of the best in the league.
If Lance continues to live up to the hype, it would be tough to keep him on the sidelines.
NEXT: Josh Rosen Facing Tough Reality After Rough 49ers Debut
Greg H. says
Well., you obviously didn’t watch the game. 🙂