Even though it wasn’t the result that anyone expected, the 49ers' anomalous quarterback extravaganza is over -- for now.
But as the offseason drama appears to be in the rearview mirror, NBC Sports’ Peter King is concerned with how things will unfold in Santa Clara as the season progresses.
It was confirmed on Monday that Jimmy Garoppolo agreed to take a pay cut that will keep the him with the 49ers as Trey Lance’s backup.
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Although Trey Lance remains QB1, King is worried Garoppolo returning to the team could take a toll on the young quarterback even prior to his first snap on Sept. 11 against the Chicago Bears.
“Not going to say the 49ers misjudged the situation, but by going back and signing Garoppolo, they look a little ill-prepared,” King said on “The Peter King Podcast” on Tuesday. “He hasn’t been in any meetings or been coached by the quarterbacks coach. It’s almost like he’s a new guy. Like he’s the new kid on the block. When he walks into quarterback meetings, it’s going to be weird, weird chemistry.”
While King acknowledged that a reason for the shocking move could be that the 49ers didn’t peg Nate Sudfeld or Brock Purdy as the guy who could play and win multiple games for them, another possibility that King mentioned lies on Lance’s abilities.
Did the 49ers bring Garoppolo back because of their lack of confidence in the 22-year-old?
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It’s a question that’s lingered in many people’s brains, even Lance’s, King believes.
“The one X-factor in this is what does this do to Trey Lance’s psyche? He’s a very confident kid, he’s a very humble kid, but he’s confident,” King said. “But now, they basically have brought back a quarterback and Trey Lance, how does he avoid thinking ‘This team really doesn’t believe in me, this team is putting training wheels on me because they know now they have a good insurance policy so maybe they won’t be as patient with me if I have a few struggles.’
"… From the 49ers standpoint, after the awkwardness of this goes away, the one thing I would worry about is what you were saying to Trey Lance by bringing Jimmy Garoppolo back. It’s impossible for me to believe that he can’t think ‘This team really has some doubts about me'."
However, coach Kyle Shanahan isn't the slightest bit worried about the relationship between Lance and Garoppolo. In fact, Shanahan confidently said during a conference call on Tuesday that the two quarterbacks will peacefully and happily coexist.
“When I told Trey that Jimmy was going to come back it’s like, ‘Awesome,’” Shanahan said. “‘That dude was awesome for me last year. I can’t wait to be the same way.’ Trey was great.”
RELATED: Purdy earns 49ers roster spot as third QB; Jimmy G QB2 in Week 1
While Shanahan and King look at the situation very differently, they will, along with the rest of the world, have to wait and see how it all transpires.
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