“And they’re going to go to him when he’s ready, no matter what Jimmy does”

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo weighs in on the 49ers QB situation

During a segment on Good Morning Football on Monday, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo picked the San Francisco 49ers to win the NFC West with a qualifier: if everyone on the team doesn’t get injured.

“Out of nowhere, Garafolo said, “I think the 49ers could make the playoffs and win the division and still have a QB change in the middle of the season. I truly believe that. Now that’s not a knock on Jimmy G. It’s just that Trey Lance, from what I gather, has already shown up there and proven that he is mentally at this stage of the game a lot more than maybe people thought. And I feel bad for Jimmy, but there’s nothing Jimmy can do to stave that off.

If Trey Lance is lighting it up in the preseason, and he’s showing them day in, and day out, maybe in practice or whatnot, they’re going to make the change. And they’re going to go to him when he’s ready, no matter what Jimmy does.”

Garafolo concluded by saying, “it’s really up to Trey Lance as to when he plays. It’s an incredibly talented roster still.” Garafolo claims to be Jimmy Garoppolo’s distant cousin. Up until recently, he had his profile picture with a picture of Jimmy in it. During the season, Garafolo blocked me on Twitter over some comments about Jimmy.

Let’s just say that if Garafolo believes it’s a matter of when and not if Lance will start this season, then the odds of it happening are high.

If this were to happen, did the 49ers bungle this entire QB situation? It reads as if the team underestimated the QB they traded three first-round picks for, somehow. Who knows how interested in Julio Jones or any other current available free agent, but having Garoppolo’s contract on the books is part of the reason we haven’t seen any notable signings as of late.

If Lance shows he’s ready to take the keys of the offense from Jimmy G before the first half of the season and the team can’t move Garoppolo, the front office will have to ask some tough questions, presumably, because there will be plenty of questions asked in hindsight.

An easy question would be, why not address Garoppolo’s contract during free agency? You could have signed more/higher quality players. The team admitted they began exploring the trade-up option in February. Acting surprised that the potential star QB you selected third overall is…a potential star QB feels off.

Of course, that’s not to say the team didn’t attempt to move off of Garoppolo’s contract. The trade rumors during the draft week were red-hot. Since we’re living in hypotheticals and talking about Lance potentially winning the job this season, it sounds as if Kyle Shanahan hasn’t evolved if he didn’t think Lance would be ready to play as a rookie.

We keep hearing how rookie QBs have never won a Super Bowl, but we’re also ignoring how recent rookies have come in and lit it up. In a loaded offense with a great play-caller, Lance shouldn’t be an exception to the recent trend.