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The San Francisco 49ers may enter the 2022 NFL season with a problem on their hands. If the team does not trade quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo before the start of next season, they will have to determine whether to start Garoppolo or their second-year quarterback Trey Lance.
According to NFL analyst Chris Simms, the organization does not have the trust in Lance that they do in Garoppolo. Here's what Simms had to say to Pro Football Talk:
"Are they scared a little bit? Of course they are."
Simms then provided an explanation to support his assessment:
"There had to be concerns coming out of San Francisco early on in the year last season. I know there was. There were too many people who were like, 'Man, the ball is everywhere; man, he's not ready yet.' That's got to scare them to a degree."
The 49ers took Lance with the third overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. With such a high draft pick comes high expectations. The assumption before the start of last season by many was that the 49ers would let Trey Lance sit and learn behind a veteran in Jimmy Garoppolo.
Perhaps, after a few weeks, Lance would be ready to take the field. If the team had faith in Garoppolo as the future, there would have been no need to take Lance so high in the draft.
Last season, Lance received very limited time as the team started Garoppolo and he led them to the NFC Championship game. They lost in a close game against future champions the Los Angeles Rams.
Who will start at quarterback for the 49ers at the start of 2022?
The question of who will start for San Francisco in the 2022 season depends on a number of factors. The first of those being whether or not Garoppolo will even be on the roster at that time.
There have been reports that the 49ers are looking to trade Garoppolo before the start of the season. Garoppolo had surgery on his throwing shoulder back in March, which may have had an adverse effect on his trade value.
However, the brass of the organization came out over a month ago to say that they are keeping the former New England Patriots signal caller.
Teams that are or were interested in taking a flyer out on him may be hesitant until they can see how well his shoulder has responded to the surgery.
For Lance, the expectation is for him to be ready to go at the start of camp. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is known as a quarterback whisperer. He is expected to have the former North Dakota State University standout up to par if he is indeed called upon to start.
Lance has a strong arm and mobility to boot, so his presence in the backfield could pay off dividends as a dual-threat.
The mystery of who will start for the team should soon be uncovered. In the meantime, stay tuned as the offseason progresses.
Poll : Who will start for the 49ers this season?
Trey Lance
Jimmy Garoppolo
81 votes
