Trey Lance is the 49ers’ starting quarterback, and Jimmy Garoppolo is his backup.
That’s a fact, but NBC Sports’ Peter King believes it might not last long.
In his weekly “Football Morning in America” column, King on Sunday predicted that Garoppolo will take over for Lance under center by the 49ers’ Week 7 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
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“I think I do not want to be a negative Nate here,” King wrote. "I truly do not dislike the San Francisco agreement to bring back Jimmy Garoppolo.”
Garoppolo agreed to take a pay cut and sit behind Lance on the 49ers’ QB depth chart after the team was unable to trade him, creating an interesting dynamic with two talented signal-callers on the roster. The pair in question, however, has stated how excited they are to be back in team meetings and practicing together.
Lance has yet to prove himself in the NFL as he approaches his first season as a starter and second in the league. However, his intellect, arm strength, and overall athleticism have the 49ers Faithful eager to see what he can accomplish.
Garoppolo, on the other hand, saw plenty of success during his time as San Francisco’s QB1, leading the 49ers to two NFC title games and a Super Bowl appearance in just the last three seasons.
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But the writing was on the wall the minute the team drafted Lance No. 3 overall in 2021, and coach Kyle Shanahan officially named the 22-year-old starter this summer. While there is sure to be a learning curve, King doesn’t think the 49ers or Lance’s teammates will have more than six weeks’ worth of patience.
“But in the midst of all the kumbaya coming out of the oh-it’s-great-we-re-signed-Jimmy lovefest, I wonder one thing: This is a veteran team that went to battle with Jimmy Garoppolo late last season and saw him beat the Rams in [Week] 18, then watch him be the QB in winning playoff games at Dallas and Green Bay.
“How will George Kittle and Fred Warner and Arik Armstead and Deebo Samuel, all good team guys, react privately if Trey Lance struggles the first month of the season? Will the Niners’ leadership council go to Kyle Shanahan and say, ‘Come on. We gotta win these games?’ ”
Kittle, Warner, Armstead, and Samuel all have sung Lance’s praises throughout the offseason, along with countless other members of the 49ers’ roster, front office, and coaching staff. They all surely know a first-year starter will encounter some troubles along the way throughout the year.
Kittle even has vowed to "'hype up" Lance through any in-season turbulence.
But King poses the question: “What if?”
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And in football, anything is possible. If any potential problems for Lance persist throughout the season, the 49ers have a Super Bowl-caliber roster ready to win the franchise’s sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy, and calling for Garoppolo isn’t entirely out of the question.
But Lance has proven capable of blocking any outside noise throughout his short time in the league.
His first real chance at silencing any doubters will come in less than a week when the 49ers open the regular season against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Sept. 11 with Lance starting under center.
Those watching can rest assured he’ll be out to prove he belongs there.