Time was running out on Jimmy Garoppolo after the 49ers dropped their fourth consecutive game and appeared to be going nowhere.
Coach Kyle Shanahan later admitted he was tempted to make a change at quarterback but rookie Trey Lance had a knee injury that made a permanent switch impossible at that point.
“They lucked out,” NFL Fox insider Jay Glazer said on 49ers Talk.
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Garoppolo started playing a lot better, and the 49ers won eight of their final 11 games to earn a spot as an NFC wild-card playoff team.
After postseason victories at Dallas and Green Bay, the 49ers’ season ended with a 20-17 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game.
Two days following the 49ers’ season-ending loss, Garoppolo made his public farewell to the 49ers’ fan base. He believes he will be playing elsewhere next season with Lance stepping into the starting job.
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Lance made two starts as a rookie. In Week 17, he completed 16 of 23 passes for 249 yards with two touchdowns and one interception as the 49ers rallied to score 20 unanswered points in the second half for a critical 23-7 victory over the Houston Texans.
Most of Lance’s work as a rookie took place away from stadium crowds and TV cameras. But he showed the 49ers enough in practices to lead them to believe he will be ready to step in at the start of the 2022 season.
“I’ve heard great stuff about him behind the scenes,” Glazer said. “I heard they love him. They’re enamored with him. He does some things in practice that make you go, ‘Oh, my goodness.’ But he’s young.
“I think they did the right thing. I think halfway through this season they were almost getting tempted to go with him, and Jimmy just started playing better and better and better and better and better.”
The 49ers should have no shortage of teams interested in acquiring Garoppolo in a trade this offseason. The only question is the price they will be able to fetch. The 49ers were willing to trade Garoppolo last season — but only at their desired level of compensation, Glazer said.
“There was chatter about Jimmy getting traded, those teams were saying the Niners were asking for a one (first-round draft pick) or a one and a three, an awful lot, and they were holding firm to that,” Glazer said. “It’ll be interesting to see what they ask for this year.”
At least two playoff teams, Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh, figure to look to the veteran market for new quarterbacks with Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger announcing their intentions to not play in 2022. And at least three other veteran quarterbacks could be on the move to new teams: Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson.
“If I’m a team out there that needs a guy with a great defense and a great running game, you know Jimmy can win for you,” Glazer said.
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The 49ers did a lot of winning with Garoppolo on the field over his 4 1/2 seasons with the club. But the 49ers were looking for more from the position when the decision was made to put the future of the franchise in the hands of a young quarterback.
The 49ers could have rushed Lance onto the field after trading up to the No. 3 overall pick to acquire him. Glazer said he believes Lance benefited greatly from being Garoppolo's understudy for a season.
“Especially in Kyle’s offense,” Glazer said. “It’s very complicated. You got to be able to think and see and adjust an awful lot.”