The San Francisco 49ers have repeatedly said that they are committed to Jimmy Garoppolo in 2021 despite their decision to trade up and draft Trey Lance. That may sound like lip service, but there are apparently at least some people within the organization who have not given up on Garoppolo.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said on “SportsCenter” Sunday that there are people with the 49ers who still believe the team can win with Garoppolo.
“I’m told Garoppolo still has significant support in the 49ers building,” Fowler said, via Bleacher Report’s Rob Goldberg. “They feel like if he’s in the lineup, he’s healthy, ‘We win.'”
In terms of wins and losses, Garoppolo has a very solid track record in San Francisco. The Niners are 22-8 over the past four seasons when Garoppolo starts. His biggest issue has been staying healthy, which is something general manager John Lynch acknowledged earlier in the offseason. As Goldberg notes, the 49ers are 7-27 over the past four years when someone other than Garoppolo starts.
Garoppolo is not Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers and never will be. However, there is something to be said for finding ways to win games. He has done that in San Francisco and helped lead the team to the Super Bowl two years ago.
Lance played in just one game at North Dakota State last year, so he’s an extremely raw prospect. Garoppolo recently shared how he felt about the Niners drafting Lance, and it sounds like he has the right outlook on the situation. It would not be a surprise if the starting job is his for another season.
