The San Francisco 49ers are in a bind right now regarding who the NFL team’s starting play-caller will be for the coming season.
There is a growing belief that Trey Lance will be the Niners’ starting quarterback – which could potentially launch a new era in San Francisco football.
However, there is still some doubt among fans and experts if the 22-year-old is ready to step into the starting quarterback’s shoes, with some questioning his maturity and others worried about how the third overall pick of 2021 would keep things together for head coach Kyle Shanahan.
There is also Jimmy Garoppolo, who is coming off off-season shoulder surgery. Rumors have been circulating for months now that the veteran quarterback would be traded, but he is still with the organization and could be in a Niners’ uniform for the early part of the coming season.
However, given the fact that the 30-year-old underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder, there are questions in the air regarding whether he would be in great enough condition to play by the start of the 2022 NFL season.
A better picture of who the 49ers’ starting quarterback will be could be seen during the upcoming training camp, which will begin Tuesday and run for three weeks.
But football analyst Sean Salisbury claimed on a Houston radio show, citing an unnamed source close to the 49ers’ QB situation, that “many” of the players on the Niners’ roster “prefer” Garoppolo to start over Lance, according to Marc Adams, a journalist who covers the 49ers for 49ers Webzone.
International Business Times could not independently verify this information.
It is not clear if Salisbury said the statement on his radio show “The Sean Salisbury Show” or on another show. He did not name the players who reportedly want Garoppolo to start.
This came days after Niners linebacker Fred Warner said on the “Rich Eisen Show” that he believes Lance is ready to take over as starting quarterback for San Francisco.
Warner also shared that the former top pick has been professional about the criticism toward him despite his age.
Garoppolo is expected to receive full medical clearance in mid-August, according to a report from NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. Although he makes sense to teams in need of a veteran play-caller, most are reportedly wary of his overall health.
A trade could still happen at some point if there is a team willing to shoulder the $25 million in compensation Garoppolo is currently due to earn.
Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
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