SAN FRANCISCO — The 49ers are in a bit of a predicament again, in appears, with their quarterback situation.
Due to starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo requiring surgery after the season, it compromised their ability to quickly move the QB to a team like the Commanders or Colts or Broncos, who all traded for other quarterbacks.
It was no secret the 49ers would look to move Garoppolo after the season, despite helping lead the franchise to its second NFC Championship game in three years.
In the 2021 NFL Draft, they selected Trey Lance third overall. In the process, they unloaded a pair of future first-round picks and a future third-round pick to secure the No. 3 overall pick from Miami. After a year on the bench, it's likely time for him to start.
But general manager John Lynch made some headlines at the owners meetings Monday when he said they weren't going to cut Garoppolo. Lynch said when talking to reporters, “I think we’re fortunate we have three quarterbacks we believe in. Trey, Jimmy and Nate.”
On the Locked On 49ers podcast, hosts Eric Crocker and Brian Peacock speculated on Lynch's comments and discussed why keeping Garoppolo on the roster would be a disaster for the franchise.
“In my eyes, as long as Jimmy Garoppolo is making $27 million, he is at the top for San Francisco," Crocker said.
Should fans expect a quarterback competition heading into the season?
“To me, keeping Jimmy Garoppolo on the team makes no sense," Crocker said. "If you’re the 49ers coming out saying Trey Lance isn’t ready, we need to start Garoppolo, that’s one thing and I can accept that. But, giving Nate Sudfeld guaranteed money tells you they weren’t preparing for Garoppolo to be on this roster. They were trying to trade him. The injury threw everything off.”
Crocker said the 49ers’ options are limited and they’re a bit backed into a corner here with Garoppolo. But, he said the 49ers need to make a decision on who their guy is at QB swiftly.
“Jimmy Garoppolo can not be on the roster unless he’s your guy. If he’s your guy, fine. Let’s say they compete in training camp and Trey Lance beats out Garoppolo. Lynch said they’re not willing to cut Garoppolo. So you’re going to sit $27 million on the bench? Someone who everyone on the roster loves? Someone who everyone on the roster has won a lot of games with? That’s impossible.”
Crocker said the additional issue there is that if Trey Lance wins the job after a competition with Garoppolo and then starts 2-3 on the year, people will clamor for Garoppolo to start.
He compares it to how Mac Jones on the Patriots as a rookie last season started 2-4, but he was able to play through it and eventually take the Patriots to the playoffs, only because the team had cut Cam Newton prior to the season.
He reiterated that he’s not choosing Lance over Garoppolo, but if Garoppolo is not the guy for San Francisco, keeping him on the roster is a disaster waiting to happen for the organization. On the flip side, if Garoppolo beats Lance out for the job, then you have a guy sitting on the bench for another year that you spent three first round picks on.
Co-host Brian Peacock, on the other hand, believes none of this matters because he believes Lynch was “lying through his teeth.”
“What he told the media on Monday wasn’t for me, wasn’t for the fans, wasn’t for the team, it was for all the other teams in the league that might be waiting for Jimmy Garoppolo to get cut so they can sign him,” Peacock said. “They don’t want to pony up a draft pick. But John Lynch is telling them they’re going to have to pony up that pick.”
Peacock doesn’t believe Garoppolo will be on the roster in July unless the 49ers don’t like what they see in Trey Lance. Which, of course, would be an even bigger issue.
Teams that are still potentially looking for a quarterback include the Seattle Seahawks, Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons. The Steelers brought in Mitch Trubisky, but could still be in the market for a proven winner.