For now, it appears as if the Trey Lance era has begun in San Francisco.
After the 49ers' season came to an end on Sunday night in a 20-17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game, many have speculated that veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has played his final game with the organization.
Ever since San Francisco selected Lance with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the writing was on the wall for Garoppolo, who very likely will be traded this offseason, giving Lance the opportunity to take over as the starter.
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SIGN UP HERE Safety Jimmie Ward spoke with reporters Monday following the 49ers' crushing conference title loss, where he praised Lance and likened his ability to extend plays to some of the NFL's best quarterbacks.
"We know he can throw a football, we know that much," Ward said. "He's got a lot of power in his arm. We know that he's an athlete alright ... He likes to move around in the pocket to throw the ball, extend downs, some of the stuff you see Jimmy [Garoppolo] doing from time to time, you see Patrick Mahomes doing, what Kyler Murray's doing, what Aaron Rodgers is doing. He has that inside of him and he's a competitor."
Immediately after the 49ers drafted Lance, the speculation as to when he would take over the starting role encompassed most of the first half of the season. Once Garoppolo and the 49ers settled in after a shaky 3-5 start, it became clear that the rookie's time will have to wait until next season.
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Lance's red-shirt rookie season did include some playing time, though, starting two games (Weeks 5,16) in place of Garoppolo while making brief appearances in others. In total, Lance completed 41 of his 71 total pass attempts for 603 yards and five touchdowns, while rushing 38 times for 168 yards and a score on the ground.
It remains to be seen how Lance will fare with a full season as the starting quarterback, but if he's anywhere close to that of a Mahomes, Rodgers or Murray, the 49ers will be in very very good hands.