If the San Fransisco 49ers were smart, there would be no debate over their quarterback situation, Trey Lance would easily get the nod over Jimmy Garoppolo.
Let's be honest: Garoppolo is what he is at this point. A rather handsome man who backed up another handsome man in New England for several years, somehow inflating his value as a player in the process, who is clearly a limited gunslinger and one that often hurts the 49ers via those same limitations.
Is Handsome Jimmy Garoppolo awful? Of course not. He's fine. But that's the issue. He's mostly just ho-hum enough to make some folk think he's solid; though he's kind of just floating around behind center making little impact whenever trotting about blades of grass in a Niners' uniform.
Trey Lance, on the other hand, is certainly a bit of an unknown to most fans. Coming out of North Dakota State, it wasn't until the NFL Draft began looming that casual fans took note of the dynamic gunslinger.
And that last part, it's huge. Lance isn't limited in terms of his abilities. Maybe his floor ends up being awful and he becomes yet another “oh, man they drafted him” quarterback cautionary tale. However, his ceiling is higher than any character in a Cheech and Chong movie. The 49ers have to realize this.
He can move. He can toss the pigskin a billion miles per hour. He's accurate. Trey Lance — allegedly — also has all those important intangibles coaches talk about, such as being able to read defenses quickly and lead a team.
Jimmy Garoppolo is coming off back-to-back seasons where head coach Kyle Shanahan used him in ways better suited for a game-managing style of gunslinger, which is a real shame given all the talent on the offensive side of the football. Moreover, he rarely plays a full season and whatever you think his ceiling is, he's hit it and there's perhaps a chance he'll begin regressing instead of there being an increased development.
There's no need to overthink this. Trey Lance is the future. He's also the right now. In the preseason opener, he proved it, chucking it for 128 yards and a touchdown as if it were no big deal. Sure, it was only preseason and they were only flashes of brilliance, but Lance's brilliance — even if it ends up being inconsistent — is the sort Garoppolo has never and will never show.
49ers, it's time to dump Jimmy Garoppolo and hitch your wagon to Trey Lance. An insanely talented roster shouldn't be wasted on a known commodity who is limited. Go with the limitless youngster and be thankful you were smart enough to draft him in the first place.
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