By: Andy Davies

The NFC West was considered the elite division in the NFL as little as a year ago but things have progressed since, despite having the current Super Bowl champions in the Los Angeles Rams. 

Russell Wilson is no longer in the division, and no one quite knows who will be the QB1 in San Francisco. 

But who is the divisions best quarterback? Here are the rankings of the NFC West quarterbacks from best to worst.

Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams)

What better place to start than with the QB1 of the Super Bowl Champions. Whilst Stafford was not the reason the Rams won Super Bowl 56 over the Cincinnati Bengals, with 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, he was certainly the final piece of the jigsaw as the Rams hoisted the Lombardi Trophy for the first time since the 1999 season. 

The Rams were always contenders, making it all the way to Super Bowl 53, but there was always something missing at the quarterback position. Jared Goff did well but even he would admit he was probably not good enough to take the Rams where they needed.

He was traded to the Detroit Lions in exchange for Stafford and the rest is history. Stafford had reached the postseason on three previous occasions, but each time came up short at the first attempt. His lack of playoff wins was a factor pointed out by sceptics when he arrived but when the Rams made the playoffs, Stafford showed why the team gave up so much to get him. In four games, he threw for 1,188 yards, 9 touchdowns and 3 interceptions as well as having a 70% completion percentage (98 from 140).

In the regular season, Stafford also impressed. Only Tom Brady (43) threw for more touchdown passes (41), with Stafford throwing for the third-most passing yards (4,886). 

Stafford is clearly the choice for the number one spot on this list and it will take a lot for the other players in this list to catch him up.

Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals)

Murray’s future is unclear, with his fifth option exercised but no longer-term deal in place at time of writing. 

The 2019 first overall pick has shown signs of his potential but is yet to fulfil this on a consistent basis. In three seasons, he has thrown for 11,480 yards, 70 touchdowns and 34 interceptions, whilst also recording  1,786 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. 

A trend of Murray’s career so far is starting off the season well but tailing off down the stretch. He will need a big year to convince the Cardinals front office that he is the player moving forward. Either way, he still remains second on this list.

Jimmy Garoppolo (San Francisco 49ers)

When the 49ers lost to the Rams in the NFC Championship game back in January, it was seen by many to be the end of Jimmy G in San Francisco. However, he is still on the team.

Having missed OTA’s due to rehab on his shoulder,  he has yet to be traded. Say what you want about Jimmy G, but he wins games. Simple as that. Whilst he has never been the reason for the 49ers winning games, he is a very serviceable quarterback. With uncertainty over Lance after reports of the organisation being underwhelmed, Garoppolo is the right guy to be under centre for the 49ers in week one. 

Drew Lock/Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)

Whether it is Lock or Smith, there is no way they aren’t at the bottom of this list. Lock has a great start to life in the NFL, when he started for the Denver Broncos towards the end of the 2019 season, his 2020 and 2021 campaigns flattered to deceive. Meanwhile, Smith has been a backup for most of his career. Neither of these quarterbacks, whoever starts against the Broncos in week one, are likely to inspire confidence from fans or the Seattle coaching staff. 

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By: Jeremy Trottier

The San Francisco 49ers have been attempting to trade Jimmy Garoppolo since the beginning of the offseason this year.  According to reports, the 49ers have received an offer of two second-round draft picks so far, but John Lynch would be looking for more.  With this, we now have to ask the question, is there a case for SF to keep Jimmy G?  While many may not agree with keeping Jimmy around for another year, it seems that this may need to be the case for the 49ers at the moment.

The first major barrier to trading Garoppolo at the moment is the teams that need QB at the moment.  Many of these teams have been filled lately, including:

• Indianapolis Colts ”“ Matt Ryan
• Cleveland Browns ”“ Deshaun Watson (now trying to trade Baker Mayfield)
• New Orleans Saints ”“ Jameis Winston
• Seattle Seahawks ”“ Only relative unknown, draft pick/Drew Lock?
• Pittsburgh Steelers ”“ Mitchell Trubisky
• Washington Commanders ”“ Carson Wentz
• Atlanta Falcons ”“ Marcus Mariota &/or high draft pick QB
• Carolina Panthers ”“ Sam Darnold / high draft pick

While some of these teams could be looking to add quarterbacks on top of those they already have, it seems that will depend on the price range.  The Browns will be looking to offload Baker pretty quickly as he wants out now, which means likely a lower price tag.  This would draw teams to go for the 26-year-old Oklahoma prospect first rather than Garoppolo whose cost may be higher.

While we saw Patrick Mahomes sit behind Alex Smith for only one season before starting, Trey Lance may need more time to develop or at least start more than one game in a season.  The 49ers could roll half the season with Jimmy G and the other half with Lance. This could also be an option if they feel Lance has a strong chance to start now, and then trade Jimmy near the trade deadline to a QB needy team. There will certainly be injuries, and players not performing up to expectations, so teams will need a QB then, as well. The 49ers may want to make Lance feel at home in the Bay Area, but the market is different and SF could still get both QBs involved in the near future.

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By: Jake Rajala

The San Francisco 49ers have been headed by the roller coaster ride of a quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo since 2014. In 2021, the genius Kyle Shanahan took it upon himself to find a more suitable long-term QB for his talented NFC West team. Shanny would of course draft Trey Lance in the 2021 NFL draft. Flash forward to Week 18 of the 2021-2022 season, we have a better idea of what Lance’s ceiling is, Jimmy G’s outlook, and how far the team is away from obtaining a Lombardi trophy. 

Needless to say, it appears that Lance is a QB that holds gifted talent, yet he’s still learning how to read defenses and utilize his skillset to the best of his ability. At the same time, it looks obvious that Lance will take complete control of the reigns between himself and the veteran Jimmy G in the 2022 offseason. 

We’ve seen Jimmy fail to run away with the future QB gig. The story hasn’t changed this season, as Jimmy G has been a pleasant game manager at best. He hasn’t thrown over two touchdowns in a single game, he’s been injured, and he’s been a ghost in big-game situations. Most recently, the 49ers GM John Lynch liked a negative tweet about Jimmy G after the disappointing defeat at the hands of the Tennessee Titans. He claims it was an accident, but it does appear to be a very “uncoincidental accident”. 

The 49ers could very well look to capitalize off of Jimmy G’s potential by trading him at this stage in his career ”” as he is only 30 years old. Per, NFL.com, the 49ers actually do intend to trade Jimmy G in the offseason. I’d say that the veteran QB didn’t help his chances of staying on the team with his most recent production. So, the question begs to ask. If Jimmy G is out the door, who could join Lance in the Bay Area? Well, here are a few realistic options.

Marcus Mariota

Marcus Mariota is a 28-year-old, dual-threat QB, who will be a free agent in 2022. The former Oregon Duck would be the PERFECT value pickup at the QB position. Mariota, who’s pushed Carr until his brakes have nearly fallen off, could see the 49ers as a potential starting opportunity. The 49ers would be spending less money on a potentially better fit with Mariota than Garoppolo. 

Andy Dalton

I know this isn’t a sexy pick. Yet, it’s publicly known that Shanny strongly admires the red rifle. Shanahan was reportedly upset when he couldn’t get his hands on the former playoff QB in the 2021 offseason. Andy Dalton might not have the ceiling of a Jameis Winston or even Jimmy G, but he can be a reliable QB2 that won’t miss wide-open WRs. 

Josh Johnson

Josh Johnson showed that he was still very athletic in the place of Lamar Jackson. The QB that has clocked a 4.44 40 time threw for 5 passing touchdowns to 2 interceptions for the Ravens in two contests. Johnson would be a nice QB2 to rotate in for Lance on read-option plays next season.

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By: Jason Willis

On Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers lost to the divisional rival Seattle Seahawks. In this game, starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a calf injury. Of course, this prompted the entrance of rookie Trey Lance. While recent news has stated that Garoppolo’s injury isn’t as bad as it seems, the 49ers should turn to the rookie either way.

Currently, the San Francisco offense is middle of the pack. With one of the best play callers in the NFL in Kyle Shanahan and some of the best weapons, the 49er’s offense has so much more potential. Part of unlocking this potential is moving on from Garoppolo. While Garoppolo has been adequate so far, it is clear he holds the team back in many key areas.

The biggest area where Trey Lance can help the 49ers immediately is in the run game. Much like his father, Kyle Shanahan is excellent at scheming up the running game. As we saw when he was the offensive coordinator is Washington with Robert Griffin III, this can also include the quarterback. If Lance is inserted as the starter, Shanahan’s entire playbook will open back up. With the injury to starting running back Raheem Mostert, this would revitalize the entire San Francisco offense.

While Lance was hardly perfect as a passer on Sunday, one thing was clear: He is simply more physically talented than Jimmy Garoppolo. With likely the strongest arm of any rookie QB, he can make throws that Garoppolo can’t even attempt. With weapons like Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk being able to stretch the field more convincingly would make a world of difference. This is something that is not new to Lance either as he did it often at North Dakota State.

Trey Lance was not great on Sunday. However, for a rookie quarterback thrown into action against a good team, it was an admirable job. As mentioned, it was clear the talent gap between the two quarterbacks as well. Luckily for San Francisco, the Garoppolo injury allows them the perfect opportunity to insert Trey Lance permanently. When Trey Lance is on the field for the 49ers, everything about their offense just feels different. He is the 49ers x-factor for this season and going forward and it is time for Kyle Shanahan and company to embrace it. Truly, it is the difference in them being a good team and a great team.

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By: Steph Sanchez

It feels like not too long ago, we were speculating about Jimmy Garoppolo’s future in San Francisco after a turbulent 2020 season derailed by an ankle injury. The questions would not stop after John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan traded up to No. 3 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Still, 49ers brass went out of their way to assure the media that Garoppolo wasn’t going anywhere. When the 49ers selected Trey Lance, it made sense to many why the team would feel comfortable keeping a proven veteran presence such as Garoppolo. Lynch and Shanahan cited the Alex Smith, Patrick Mahomes model several times, adamant that Jimmy Garoppolo is their starter. At the start of training camp, Shanahan even said there was “no open competition [at quarterback] right now.” 

By now, we shouldn’t take everything this team says at face value. Let’s not forget the way Shanahan had the NFL media convinced that they were interested in drafting Mac Jones at 3. Trey Lance’s camp performances had local media raving early. So much so that it felt that not considering Lance as the Week 1 starter seemed nearly impossible. 

So far, it seems that there is at least some truth to Shanahan’s words. It’s clear that the starting job will not, in fact, be handed over to the 21-year-old rookie. He will have to earn it. And not only that – Garoppolo will have to lose it. The 49ers are doing a great job of playing both sides and tempering national media and fan’s eagerness to see more of Trey Lance. John Lynch joined ESPN Adam Schefter’s podcast and when asked about Lance said he’s been “tremendous”. He then immediately shifted the discussion toward Garoppolo: “Lance being here has brought the best out of Jimmy Garoppolo”¦in practice in the offseason and practice in training camp thus far, he’s playing the best football since he’s been here.” Quite the ringing endorsement.

Through training camp, the “non” competition has been fierce. The first few days seemed to belong to Trey with reports like the ball “jumps out of his hand”. He takes risks downfield, he can run. Do these things sound familiar? No, because Jimmy Garoppolo doesn’t do these things. It’s not Jimmy’s fault that Trey Lance’s strengths are Garoppolo’s weaknesses. But it’s likely no coincidence either. Being that as it may, Garoppolo is still doing what he does best. He strung together a number of solid practices, usually on days where the rookie struggled. 

Trey Lance’s struggles are the kind you would expect from a rookie still learning and adjusting to life in the NFL. A couple of botched handoffs, sometimes throwing too high and above his receivers are just a couple of the mistakes we’ve heard of Lance making. Garoppolo’s struggles are the same we’ve seen from the veteran before – throwing behind his receivers, no velocity on his throws, interceptions, no deep ball accuracy or power. Garoppolo is who he is. He can do the things he does well but we know (because we’ve seen) that he will mix in a few mistakes largely due to his limitations. 

Jimmy Garoppolo finished training camp with the following stats 128 completions out of 204 attempts, earning him a 62.7% completion rate. Of those 128 attempts, he threw seven touchdowns and six interceptions. Trey Lance on the other hand finished with 115 completions out of 167 attempts. This gives Lance a 68.9% completion rate with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. Two of Lance’s touchdowns were rushing touchdowns. 

It is important to note that Garoppolo has spent camp with the first-team offensive line and most of the first-team skill position players. Lance had a total of two snaps with the first-team offensive line in all of camp. The rest of his time was spent behind the reportedly abysmal second-team line. It’s also important to put into perspective that the second-team defensive line has players that could be starters on other teams. 

It’s hard to gauge Lance’s performance if he and Garoppolo are not given equal opportunities. It seems like Shanahan wants to put Lance through the NFL gauntlet before deeming him “ready”. The tough question is what constitutes as “ready” in Kyle Shanahan’s mind. We may never know the answer to this question until Shanahan names Lance the starter. Recent quotes from John Lynch and Shanahan may be an indication as to how they’re currently leaning on their decision. Just within the week before the team’s first preseason same, Kyle Shanahan said “Trey Lance is going to play for us this year”. When asked about the quarterback starting job, John Lynch said “It’s Jimmy’s right now and Trey’s pushing.” 

In the team’s first preseason game against the Chiefs, Jimmy Garoppolo played just one series to start the game. It was a serviceable, classic Garoppolo performance.  He hit his guys for short yardage throws and let his receivers do the rest with their YAC abilities. Trey Lance played 29 snaps which felt like a good chunk of the game. He only played a couple of snaps with the same offensive line that Garoppolo played behind. Lance made the most of his time in the pocket, escaping out to his left and delivering a 49-yard throw that would result in an 80-yard tuddy to WR Trent Sherfield. Lance was in command and showed why he has more upside than Garoppolo. At one point, his only incompletions were on drops.

Unfortunately for the rookie, however, the second-team offensive line could not hold up their end of the deal. After a couple of impressive series, Lance had a difficult time escaping pressure or making accurate throws under duress. 

I imagine this is exactly what Kyle Shanahan wanted him to go through to see how he would respond. It could have gone better but you could certainly make a case for Lance on his upside alone. If he can improve his under-pressure performance in following preseason games, it might be time to call the fight.

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By: Andy Davies

The San Francisco 49ers are one of the most successful franchises in NFL history. Only the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers (both 6) have more Super Bowl wins than the 49ers (5). The 49ers’ five Super Bowls all came between the years of 1981 and 1994. They have lost two since, in the 2012 and 2019 seasons. The quarterbacks that led the 49ers to the Lombardi Trophy were Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young. Three of those five wins saw Montana as the starter and Young as the backup.

Young is seen by many as the best backup quarterback in history, considering the gold jacket that he earned despite many years as the backup to Montana. He would win a Super Bowl as the starter after the franchise moved on from Montana. Ever since Young decided to hang up his cleats, the 49ers have struggled to find his replacement. Have they found the guy in Trey Lance?

Perhaps, but here is why the quarterback situation involving Lance and current starter Jimmy Garoppolo could prevent the 49ers from winning the NFC West during the 2021 season.

Struggles Since Young

Jeff Garcia was the man to come in for Young. During his five seasons in the Bay, he threw for 113 touchdowns and 56 interceptions as well as 16,408 passing yards. He had a 35-36 record as a starter for the 49ers in the regular season and a 1-2 record in the postseason, meaning he never hit the heights of his predecessor.

Alex Smith was the number one overall pick in 2005, shattering Aaron Rodgers’ dreams. However, he was a good quarterback, not a great quarterback. Colin Kaepernick replaced Smith and took the 49ers to the Super Bowl. They ended up losing to the Baltimore Ravens in a game often called the ”˜Blackout Bowl’. Kaepernick failed to live up to the standards he set that season.

He would be kicked out of the league for taking the knee in a protest against police brutality in 2016. He has not played a snap in the NFL since. Jimmy Garoppolo was traded from the Patriots to the 49ers midway through the 2017 season. He gave hope to the organization after winning all five of the games he started in 2017. The fanbase had hope going into the 2018 season.

Many non-49ers fans had San Francisco down as their dark horse for the season. A season-ending injury to Garoppolo in Week 3 saw the starting role shared between Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard. However, the 49ers finished 4-12 as they went into 2019 with the second overall pick. Nick Bosa was selected and transformed the defense of San Francisco and Jimmy G had the best season of his career. He threw for 3,978 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Despite these stats, Garoppolo saw his production limited in the NFC Championship game as the coaching staff decided to use more of their running game. This led to many questions leading to the Super Bowl. The 49ers threw away a ten-point lead in the fourth quarter as they would end up losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 54.

Garoppolo was criticized heavily for an overthrown pass to Emmanuel Sanders that would have given San Francisco back the lead. His 2020 season saw a mixture of poor form and injury. During the 2021 offseason, the 49ers traded up with the Miami Dolphins to gain the number three overall pick. They took Lance with the pick, showcasing their intentions to eventually move off from Garoppolo. There is now talk of whether San Francisco and head coach Kyle Shanahan will start Lance in week one. The other scenarios discussed are either Lance coming in mid-season or sitting out the whole campaign as the backup to Garoppolo. The uncertainty will have a significant impact on the 49ers’ season.

The Strength of the NFC West

This is a problem that will affect all four teams in the best division in the NFL. There is a chance that all four teams can make the playoffs. Los Angeles has an exciting new quarterback in 2009 first overall pick Matthew Stafford. Both the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals have quarterbacks in Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray that they would never dream of trading away. Meanwhile, the 49ers’ starting quarterback is largely unpopular by fans, due to a mixture of the overthrown pass in the Super Bowl, his poor 2020 campaign and his injury record.

San Francisco has the least trusted quarterback in the division. With the position being one of the most crucial in all sports, it does not bode well for a team when there is uncertainty in the position. Garoppolo may be benched at some point during the season for Lance. However, the 49ers would be putting a rookie that will still be learning the system into the toughest division in the NFL.

Learning From Mahomes, Jackson, Tua and Burrow

If San Francisco are to help Lance succeed, they will need to take some lessons from recent draft classes. Patrick Mahomes, widely seen as the best quarterback in the league, spent all but one game of his 2017 rookie season as a backup to Alex Smith. The Chiefs then traded Smith the following offseason and Mahomes has never looked back. In his first three full seasons as a starter in the NFL, he has reached two Super Bowls, winning one. He has also been crowned MVP and Super Bowl MVP and reached three successive AFC Championship games. All three have been at home. On the flip side, 2020 first overall pick Joe Burrow started in week one of his rookie year. He wouldn’t last the season, only playing ten games before injury curtailed his first NFL campaign. He was impressive before his injury but there are no guarantees he will be the same player when he returns.

Lamar Jackson was a backup to Joe Flacco during his 2018 rookie year but won the starting role midseason. He has since gone on to win an MVP award and is the future of the franchise. Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins brought Tua Tagovailoa in mid-season but he struggled in his rookie season. He is seen to already be on the hot seat, with many feeling the Dolphins rushed him in. These examples all show there are reasons for the 49ers to be hasty when it comes to choosing when to bring Lance into the starting role.

Lance Or Garoppolo In 2021?

The 49ers will have to decide soon who their starter will be in 2021. Considering Lance has only played one full season (2019), he is likely to start the season as the backup. He only threw for a combined total of 31 passing attempts, two touchdowns and 1 interception across the 2018 and 2020 seasons, albeit the latter campaign being disrupted by the pandemic. He is likely to be a work in progress but his 28 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in 2019 mean that he is one for the future.

Garoppolo will likely start in week one but it was clear from the NFC Championship game that Shanahan doesn’t completely trust him.

Jimmy G is a capable quarterback but his health is a concern. Expect Garoppolo to remain as the starter provided the 49ers are winning games but for Lance to come in should Garoppolo either be injured or start the season poorly.

Should this happen, this will be the end of Garoppolo’s time in San Francisco. Depending on timing, he will then be traded either before the deadline or in the 2022 offseason.

Can The 49ers Returning Players Avoid A Repeat Of 2020?

This is key if the 49ers are to challenge for both the NFC West and the NFC. After earning the number one seed and reaching Super Bowl 54 during the 2019 campaign, San Francisco finished 6-10 in 2020 and bottom of the division. A ”˜Super Bowl Hangover’ played its part but the main cause of such a decline was down to a colossal amount of injuries the team suffered. Along with the aforementioned Garoppolo, the 49ers also saw Bosa, Dee Ford, George Kittle, Raheem Mostert, Deebo Samuel and Solomon Thomas miss large chunks of the 2020 season due to injury.

San Francisco had 33 players reported questionable and there were 186 occasions when the 49ers reported a player on injured reserve. They had the second-most injuries of any team in the NFL over the past twenty years. Should all these players come back, then this 49ers roster will be one of the best in the league. This will make life much easier for whoever the San Francisco starting quarterback is.

However, from the strength of the division to the uncertainty at quarterback, San Francisco will find it tough to win the NFC West.

The post Why the QB situation may prevent the 49ers from winning the NFC West appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Brady Akins

April 29, 2021. The first round of the most recent iteration of the NFL Draft, and the night that the San Francisco 49ers made the franchise-altering decision to select Trey Lance, the 21-year-old quarterback out of North Dakota State, third overall.

This, when just four seasons prior, the 49ers made what was seen at the time as another high-stakes quarterback acquisition, when San Francisco managed to lure the perceived heir apparent to the impossible throne of Tom Brady in Jimmy Garoppolo to the Bay Area. 

And in the four seasons that followed, the 49ers have received a mixed bag from the quarterback they gave up a second-round pick to add to the roster. From being a wealth of untapped potential with an unbeaten record in 2017 to an injury-prone player with a limited skillset under center in 2020 and everywhere in between.

Even with an NFC Championship victory and a near Super Bowl victory under the belt of Jimmy G, one franchise-altering decision has led to another. And with OTA’s now well underway league-wide, Garoppolo has come face-to-face with the man set to become the future of the San Francisco offense in Lance. 

It’s a football tale as old as football time. One young, unproven but talented hotshot quarterback steps into the fray to take over for an established starter. When that switch happens, however, always varies. It took three years for the reigning league MVP Aaron Rodgers to get the starting nod in Green Bay over Brett Favre, one year for another MVP Patrick Mahomes to take over for Alex Smith in Kansas City, and just a handful of games for yet another MVP in Lamar Jackson to take over in Baltimore for Joe Flacco. But it always happens. The new guy will always get a shot, one way or another.

So the question of Garoppolo’s future in San Francisco is settled. Sooner or later, he will be out and Lance will be in. And that, folks, is the ecosystem of the NFL. 

But just because Garoppolo’s long-term fate was sealed with that April 29 decision to draft Lance, nothing has been determined for the immediate present of the 49er’s quarterback job. Rather, Garoppolo has entered a battle to be San Francisco’s Week One starter for the 49ers. A battle of two contenders, where each party has a compelling case.

But between Lance and Garoppolo, who deserves it more?

Who is Jimmy Garoppolo?

No longer is Garoppolo the exciting unknown quantity he once was. He’s not the undefeated starter on pace to be the next Tom Brady anymore. His weaknesses have been documented and used against him, as have his strengths.

The 49ers, along with the rest of the football world, know exactly what they’re getting when Jimmy Garoppolo takes the field, for better and for worse. They’re getting a guy who is accurate, can deliver the ball well and quickly in short to intermediate areas on the field. They’re also getting a guy who has struggled in the past with injuries, has shown a penchant for turning the ball over, and is limited as an athlete.

If you need to win a game, you can count on Garoppolo, just don’t expect it to be pretty. Through seven years in the league, Garoppolo has started in 32 games– all but two of which have come in a 49ers uniform. In that time, he’s gone 24-8.

It’s difficult to argue with a win rate that high. In fact, among active quarterbacks with 10 or more starts, Garoppolo ranks fourth overall in winning percentage– behind three former MVPs in Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson. 

But the knock against Garoppolo as a player that has seen great success in his time under center, is that, more often than you would hope from a franchise quarterback,  his teams have succeeded in spite of his play rather than because of it. 

Take the 2019 season for example, far and away Garoppolo’s most successful year– by more than a few metrics as well. Not only did he experience career highs in touchdowns, passing yards and completion percentage, but he did so while being able to stay on the field, starting all 16 games for the first time in his career. 2019 still remains as the only time Garoppolo has started more than six games in a season.

With that ability to stay healthy came team success. The 49ers won the NFC for the first time since 2012, won 13 games for the first time since 1997, and all was well in the world. Sure, maybe their quarterback finished with one of the 10 highest interception percentages despite finishing 19th in pass attempts, but it didn’t really matter. San Francisco had the coaching to elevate the weaknesses on the depth chart, and the defensive talent to compensate for whatever deficiencies Garoppolo was bringing to the table.

But team success at that level could have been an anomaly. San Francisco, despite not having a big-name talent at running back, finished with the second-most volume heavy rushing attack in 2019, and the eighth-most efficient, all while having a defense that was top ten in points allowed, yards allowed, takeaways and sacks.

With a smothering defense and role players performing above expectation, everything in San Francisco was perfect. What came of it, however, was a step short of the ultimate goal of a Super Bowl victory. Arguably, the one element missing from their potential storybook season was elite quarterback play.

Not that Garoppolo played poorly in 2019– he didn’t. As he’s been his whole career, Garoppolo proved to be an accurate passer, but a poor decision-maker. A winner, but more of a game manager in the passing game– which was on full display in the team’s NFC Championship victory, one where Garoppolo threw just eight passes in a 37-20 win. 

But he’s still a player that, with the right circumstances, can get a team right on the doorstep of the promised land. The 49ers have lost some talent on defense since that 2019 run, including defensive coordinator Robert Salah in this past offseason. But recent additions on the opposite side of the ball, ones like wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, give San Francisco’s offensive coaching staff more weapons to play with.

Last season was a down year, but one plagued by injuries to key players. With those contributors returning, San Francisco could have the talent to be one of the league’s better teams. If that is the case, they might not need a high-risk, high-reward quarterback more than one who can quietly get the job done.

Who is Trey Lance

If Jimmy Garoppolo is the living, breathing definition of a known quantity– Trey Lance is the exact opposite. If Jimmy Garoppolo is high floor/low ceiling, Trey Lance is a rollercoaster. If Jimmy Garoppolo is the breakfast food equivalent to plain yogurt, Trey Lance is somewhere in the range of the special at a greasy spoon diner that you’ve never heard of but your friend swears by.

Point being– we know Jimmy G. He’s solid. Decent. Able to win and look solid when he does it, but that’s about it. Lance is, well, we don’t really know. He could very well be the best parts of Lamar Jackson with his immense scrambling ability and Tom Brady with his high football IQ and ability to keep the ball safe. Or, he could be a bust. A lot of raw talent but without the ability to put it all together.

And let’s not get it twisted– Trey Lance is talented. One look at the stat sheet from his final full season of college football will tell you as much. 28 passing touchdowns, 67% completion percentage, and zero, ZERO, interceptions. And that’s just through the air. Lance added another 14 touchdowns on the ground, putting up 1,100 rushing yards on 169 attempts.

But even with the immaculate stat sheets– Lance comes with a laundry list of concerns as a player. One of which being, that year of insane production in college was his only year of production in college. In 2018, Lance attempted just one pass in the role of backup. In 2019, he blew up. In 2020– his team played just one game, in what boiled down to essentially a showcase for his NFL potential, and it didn’t go so well.

The one and only interception of Lance’s college career came in North Dakota State’s one 2020 game against Central Arkansas. Granted, Lance made up for the missed opportunity with some truly special production on the ground with 166 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns, but against an FCS opponent that isn’t necessarily on the level that Lance will face in the NFL, he struggled mightily as a passer, even beyond the interception.

On 30 passing attempts, Lance completed just 15 for just 149 yards. Lance did enough in 2019 to show that he at least has the potential to be an accurate passer. The sample size is small, however, and Lance did little to put any concerns about his ability to throw the football accurately to rest.

But the player that Lance could be in the NFL is enough to justify drafting him in the first round, even as high as third overall. Particularly when you have a coach on the sidelines in Kyle Shanahan who has made a living on finding the ways to make the most out of his players.

In 2016, one year before Shanahan’s promotion to head coach of the 49ers, he served the role of offensive coordinator in Atlanta, where he helped Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan win league MVP and hit career highs in, well, everything. His 38 touchdown passes were a career-high, his 4,944 yards were a career-high, his seven interceptions were a career-low, and the list went on. Completion percentage, yards per attempt, passer rating and quarterback rating, all as high as they’ve ever been under the watchful eye of Shanahan.

Similarly, Shanahan has helped his cast of running backs reach new heights in San Francisco. Raheem Mostert was an NFL journeyman before joining the 49ers, with quick stops in Cleveland, Miami, Baltimore and Chicago that all resulted in not a single carry. With San Francisco, Mostert has blossomed to produce three seasons of efficient carrying, without a season below five yards per carry.

Shanahan might be able to work his magic once more with Lance. But concerns still remain. Lance is an inexperienced player from an FCS school. A perfect 2019 season? Sure. All the potential in the world? No question. Lance has the tools to be one of the all-time greats. But can he do it in year one?

Lance vs Garoppolo: The Final Verdict

The one and only time that Jimmy Garoppolo started 16 games in a season– he won 13 of them. 

Yes, he had the help of a transcendent defense. Yes, looking at his numbers in a box score isn’t as exciting as it would be for a player like Aaron Rodgers. And, yes, in the future, Trey Lance can and likely will be a better player than Garoppolo.

But Lance doesn’t need to be that player immediately.  Garoppolo isn’t going to make highlights like a rookie Lance would, but he can be exactly what the 49ers need in the short term. A player who can distribute the ball with ease to talented pass catchers like Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle. A player who can run Shanahan’s offense well enough to win, with years of familiarity with the scheme.

Most of all, he can be a smart guiding hand for the 49ers quarterback of the future. A veteran to show Lance the ropes, the same way that Alex Smith taught Mahomes before him. The future lives with Trey Lance, but the present of the 49ers franchise can still be Jimmy Garoppolo.

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By” Steph Sanchez

Jimmy Garoppolo’s tenure as the 49ers’ quarterback has been nothing short of a roller coaster. He reached a new low in 2020 with confidence struggles and a high ankle sprain that would sideline him much of the season. Questions around Kyle Shanahan’s trust in Garoppolo started after the team’s Super Bowl loss and has only grown louder since then. 

Despite trading up from No. 12 to No. 3, John Lynch adamantly continued to say Garoppolo is “still very much a part of [their] plans” and he will be their Week 1 starter. Whether they are saying this to drive up his trade value or are serious about keeping him around remains to be seen. I take a look at the pros and cons of trading Jimmy Garoppolo. 

The 49ers currently have quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo, Josh Rosen, and Josh Johnson on the roster. The stability behind a rookie QB should Garoppolo be traded would be shaky at best. On the other hand, if Garoppolo is traded, your rookie would know he is the unquestioned new leader of the team. 

We’ve seen how a veteran presence can actually do more harm than good. Recent examples of Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tua Tagovailoa come to mind. As much as teams love to cite the Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes dynamic, not many quarterbacks are as much a class act as Alex Smith. Having a serviceable, former starting quarterback breathing down your neck after every “rookie” mistake could lead to increased pressure and in turn chip away at a rookie quarterback’s confidence. The team could avoid that plus a potentially awkward or split locker room by ripping off the bandaid and moving Garoppolo. 

The potential first or second round pick that the 49ers are seeking for Garoppolo would be a huge boost for a team that “just traded away a couple first round picks” to move up to No. 3 overall. If they don’t find a trade partner willing to meet their ask, they may feel more inclined to keep Garoppolo around with the hope that he starts and performs well.

That move is not safe from risk, however. If they try their luck and Garoppolo plays poorly to start the season, it will blow up whatever value Garoppolo had. That would turn trading him into cutting him where you don’t recoup any value for your three year starter. 

Whether they cut or trade Garoppolo, the 49ers would benefit from some salary cap relief. Trading Garoppolo before June 1st, would clear $24.1 million. With extensions for Fred Warner and Nick Bosa looming, the team could highly benefit from such cap savings. 

I’ll end this debate with a win-win for both sides”¦ Which is If Jimmy Garoppolo is traded, the 49ers rookie quarterback will be allowed to hit the ground running and start right away. The 49ers get more talent via draft picks for the new face of the franchise. As for Garoppolo, he is given a fresh start with a team who needs him, and is confident in his abilities. A change of scenery could be exactly what Garoppolo needs to get his groove back and get back to his 2017 and 2019 form. 

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