49ers Prefer Trey Lance To Sit Entire Season, But More Losses Could Lead To Change At QB

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the 49ers will start Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback this week with rookie Trey Lance as his backup. However, Rapoport says that Lance could end up having a “key role” for the team soon.

According to Rapoport, the 49ers would prefer Lance to sit the entire year and as long as Garoppolo plays well, that’s likely to happen. Should San Francisco continue to lose games with Garoppolo under center, Rapoport says the 49ers may have to turn to Lance.

Sources have told Rapoport they believe Lance will be the starter at some point this season and depending on whether the team continues to drop games, it sounds like it could be sooner rather than later.

San Francisco reportedly does not want to push Lance, who is coming off of an injury. Rapoport mentions that there is no specific plan to install Lance as the starter, but the team may have to go this route in the next few weeks if they are not winning games.

49ers HC Kyle Shanahan was asked this past week if Garoppolo was a game away from being benched.

“I would never answer a question like that,” Shanahan said. “I don’t think like that. We’re trying to get our team out of this losing streak. We’ve had four losses in a row. We’ve hunkered down this week, we’re trying to get our guys back and we’re going to go to Chicago and play as good as we can. When you play good, you play bad, you review the tape after the game, you go into Monday and Tuesday and you try to make decisions by Wednesday.”

As for Lance, Shanahan said: “Every time Trey is up, there’s always potential for him to have a package in the game.”

Lance, 21, was a one-year starter at North Dakota State. He was a unanimous All-American sophomore, but was limited to appearing in just one game last year due to NDSU’s schedule.

The 49ers traded up in round one to select Lance with the No. 3 overall pick.

Lance signed a four-year, $34,105,276 contract with the 49ers that includes a $22,163,837 signing bonus. The 49ers will have a fifth-year option to pick up on him in 2024. 

In 2021, Lance has appeared in four games for the 49ers and completed 52.1 percent of his passes for 354 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He has also rushed for 133 yards and a touchdown.