AP Photo/Ashley Landis
Anyone hoping that Sunday’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers would end the drama regarding the San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback for Week 1 is surely disappointed.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan declined to name a starter between Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance following the 15-10 victory over the Chargers at SoFi Stadium, although he did suggest his original plan may still be in place:
Nick Wagoner @nwagoner
<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/49ers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#49ers</a> HC Kyle Shanahan said he hasn’t seen anything to this point that would move him off original plan of Jimmy Garoppolo as the starter with Trey Lance as the backup. “The situation is pretty similar,” Shanahan said. <br><br>Shanahan also declined to declare JG the week 1 starter.
Garoppolo started Sunday’s game and was anything but dominant.
He played just the opening drive, finishing 3-of-6 passing for 15 yards and one interception. While his interception did deflect off Brandon Aiyuk’s hands first, it was still a high pass during an overall lackluster performance.
Lance also started slow and threw a similar interception on a high pass that bounced off Mohamed Sanu’s hands.
However, he recovered and finished 8-of-14 passing for 102 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He showed touch on a deep ball to Trent Sherfield, and his second touchdown pass came when he fit a pass through a tight window right to Travis Benjamin.
It was a demonstration of arm strength that Garoppolo may not be able to match. The rookie also has the advantage in overall athleticism and the ability to avoid pressure by escaping the pocket.
Frankly, the 49ers didn’t draft Lance with the No. 3 overall pick for him to be a long-term backup.
It seems like only a matter of time before he takes over, even if Garoppolo does end up starting Week 1 against the Detroit Lions.
They will both have one more opportunity to prove themselves in the preseason when San Francisco takes on the Las Vegas Raiders next Sunday.
