The 49ers are dealing with a strange quarterback situation as the 2022 NFL season kicks off.
Incumbent starter Jimmy Garoppolo was replaced by Trey Lance, the No. 3 overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft, at the quarterback position early in the offseason. As a result, it was presumed that the 49ers would trade or cut Garoppolo to allow him to play elsewhere in 2022.
However, San Francisco wasn’t able to find a trade partner for Garoppolo, and the 49ers felt he was too valuable to release. As such, the 30-year-old quarterback restructured his contract and elected to remain in San Francisco as the NFL’s highest-paid backup.
MORE: Breaking down Jimmy Garoppolo’s restructured contract with the 49ers
That gives the 49ers good depth at the quarterback position, but it also creates an uncomfortable situation for Lance. Why? Because he is now under a lot of pressure to produce at an equal or greater clip than Garoppolo did for San Francisco.
The 49ers’ brain trust appears to understand this and has taken action to ensure Lance is properly supported during his early days as San Francisco’s starter, as Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported on the network’s NFL pregame show on Sunday.
The day that they got Jimmy Garoppolo to restructure and come back as their backup, their head coach Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch gathered 15 team captains. They said, ‘Guys, we need your support here. We got to make sure that you get Trey’s back because there’s gonna be some bumpy roads ahead. We got to make sure with every incompletion, every interception that people aren’t clamoring to move on to Jimmy. We’ve got to make sure we have your support.’
MORE: Rams reportedly would have targeted Jimmy Garoppolo if released by 49ers
Glazer’s report brought up a couple of natural questions. First of all, did the players agree to backup up Lance in his first full season as a starter?
“All 15 didn’t hesitate,” Glazer explained. “[They said,] ‘Yup, we got his back.'”
#49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch brought together “15 team captains” to support new starting QB Trey Lance in case he struggle.pic.twitter.com/orJUytBgX6
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 11, 2022
That’s hardly surprising. After all, the 49ers are a veteran-laden team that has supported Garoppolo in seasons past despite his issues with turnovers.
Still, it’s worth noting that the 49ers felt the need to ask the team to support Lance. That at least showcases that the team has some apprehension about the “bumpy road” that could exist at the start of the Trey Lance era.
Those fears may have played into the team’s decision to keep Garoppolo around as a well-paid safety net even despite the organization’s outward confidence in Lance.
MORE: Soldier Field soaked by rain ahead of 49ers-Bears Week 1 game
The other big question that came from Glazer’s comments is a bit less important but is still noteworthy. Do the 49ers actually have 15 captains? As great of a story as that would be, they do not; San Francisco has six captains, and they are as follows, according to the team’s official website.
- LB Fred Warner
- OT Trent Williams
- TE George Kittle
- S Jimmie Ward
- DL Arik Armstead
- DL Nick Bosa
It’s likely that Glazer meant “15 veterans” instead of 15 captains. Either way, it’s noteworthy that all are ready to support Lance during his first full season as a starter.
Hits: 0
