Kyle Shanahan drops hint about Jimmy Garoppolo’s 49ers future

San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has been adamantly behind Jimmy Garoppolo as the team’s starter in 2021. That could clearly change next season.

Shanahan spoke about the 49ers’ potential 2022 quarterback situation on Wednesday, and it sounded like good news for Trey Lance. Shanahan admitted that Garoppolo could be back in 2022, but made clear that Lance is viewed as the long-term option.

Kyle Shanahan says that it’s possible that Jimmy Garoppolo is with the 49ers in 2022, with the caveat we all know:

"There's a chance for anything, but I think we've made it clear that Trey is our guy of the future.”

Adds that it’ll be very hard for Lance to beat Garoppolo out

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) November 24, 2021

Garoppolo is under contract for 2022, but it will cost the 49ers essentially nothing to move on from him after June 1. Doing so and clearing over $25 million in cap space appears to be a no-brainer, particularly with Garoppolo putting together an unconvincing season.

On the other hand, Shanahan doesn’t seem totally sold on Lance yet either. The 49ers still believe in him, but may want to see more progress prior to 2022.

Photo: Sep 26, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) walks on the field before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports