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The 49ers are continuing to insist that Jimmy Garoppolo is their starting quarterback, but they’re not exactly hiding the fact that rookie Trey Lance is making a strong case to take the job from Jimmy G.
San Francisco General Manager John Lynch said this morning that head coach Kyle Shanahan will make the final call, but Lynch is noticing a lot of good things from Lance.
“That’s up to Kyle. That’s up to our head coach,” Lynch said on the Murph & Mac show, via 49ersWebZone.com. “He makes the decisions on who’s playing and what not. But I think it’s Jimmy’s right now and Trey’s pushing. I think that’s where it’s at.”
The 49ers obviously thought very highly of Lance heading into the draft, which is why they traded their 2021, 2022 and 2023 first-round picks to get into position to take him. But Lynch said Lance has been even better than expected.
“He’s been awesome. He’s been everything we thought he would be and more. He was good from day one when he walked in here in the offseason, and I think a testament to what we thought he was and his work ethic,” Lynch said.
The 49ers plan to start Garoppolo in the first preseason game but play him for only one series, while Lance will play the rest of the first half. Lance will have plenty of preseason opportunities to show what he can do, and if he outplays Garoppolo, no one should be shocked if Lance pushes Garoppolo right out of a starting job.
