It is one of the burning questions of this NFL offseason: Will Trey Lance play in Week 1 for the San Francisco 49ers? The intent behind the question is perfectly legitimate and reasonable: to determine if Lance is a serious threat to Jimmy Garoppolo for the starting quarterback job this season, or if the Niners are going to create a Kansas City Chiefs scenario in which Patrick Mahomes sits and learns for one year before being handed the keys.
One NFL analyst had a very specific view on this debate involving the 49ers.
Brian Baldinger, a former offensive lineman who is a veteran NFL analyst and film-room evaluator, is convinced the 49ers will play Lance in Week 1 of the 2021 season.
“The 49ers open in Detroit, and I'd be shocked — shocked — if Trey Lance doesn't get the ball in his hands (in) the opening game of the season,” Baldinger told his co-host, Jason La Canfora, on the Baldy's Breakdowns podcast (h/t 49ers Web Zone). “I just think there's going to be a rotation. And I think Kyle (Shanahan) understands as well as anybody the need for continuity at that position and for a quarterback to find his rhythm.
“But I think there's going to be packages for Trey Lance, and it's not going to be just a run-read option. I believe that he's going to be given a series. I believe that he's going to be able to throw it. I fully expect Trey Lance to be on the field.”
The idea that Lance and Garoppolo will both have packages to work with is certainly on the table as a possibility, but whether this arrangement — if it happens — will be sustained through the whole season is hard to gauge. Keep in mind that the 49ers are playing the Lions in Week 1, not the Rams, Buccaneers, Packers, or another Super Bowl contender. That certainly makes it more likely that Lance will play… but if he plays in mop-up duty when San Francisco leads by 20 points in the fourth quarter, does that genuinely count as “playing in Week 1”? It's technically correct, but that wouldn't really mean anything in terms of the actual battle at the quarterback spot.
49ers fans and NFL fans want to know if Kyle Shanahan will create a battle for the starting spot or insist on Jimmy G. We're just going to have to wait and see on that point, as unsatisfying as it might be.
Of this much we can be sure: Jimmy G might not win the job, but he can lose it. If he stumbles, Trey Lance will very likely get at least one start at some point. The 49ers, though, would prefer to not have that problem in 2021, and have a great season as a result.
They could then face a first-world problem in 2022.
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