It feels appropriate that Jimmy Garoppolo’s Chicago homecoming is on Halloween. There is a sustained, eerie cloud murk hovering around this team after four-straight losses, almost all of which have been self-imposed through a variety of stunning errors.
Through all this time, the 49ers have stuck by Jimmy Garoppolo.
Frequently, TV broadcasters have mentioned that this was supposed to be a “redshirt year” for Trey Lance. It’s something Kyle Shanahan has never mentioned to local media, but those broadcasters, as well as national media members have continued to parrot that phrase, suggesting the 49ers’ intention was never to start Lance this season.
Whatever qualms and criticisms there are of that plan, that was the plan. And so far, it’s failing.
There was a very clear shift in tone from the 49ers’ brass this week, as Kyle Shanahan said he thought Lance was starting to get into a rhythm against the Arizona Cardinals, and seemed to want to see him continue playing in the coming weeks, before his knee sprain.
“I think it was real unfortunate that, at the time he got to play, I thought he was ready to take off a little bit after that getting that experience,” Shanahan said Wednesday. “I thought that that was going to be great for him to come back the next week, especially with Jimmy banged up a little bit, but he had an unfortunate injury and it’s lasting a little longer than expected. So, I’m excited to get him out there today. But he hasn’t done anything in a couple of weeks, so we’ll see where his progress is now.”
When asked about the quarterback situation, Shanahan has started pointing to Lance’s health as a reason that he won’t consider starting him, rather than him not being ready, which was something he leaned on in prior weeks.
Once he sees him healthy for a sustained period, he’s sounded more open to starting the rookie.
On KNBR this week, John Lynch said, in a way he hasn’t before, that “I think there is going to be a time this year that Trey plays.”
It wasn’t a guarantee that he will start, but it was a stronger indication than the 49ers had given so far.
And now come the NFL Network reports.
Earlier this week, Mike Garafolo all but guaranteed that Lance would start this season.
“In listening to things and reading between the lines, Trey Lance is going to be the starting quarterback for this team at some point in the 2021 regular season,” Garafolo said. “I truly believe that, and there’s only so much Jimmy Garoppolo can do to hold him off, especially when you’re hearing such compliments, as we heard from Kyle Shanahan yesterday.”
And on Sunday morning, Ian Rapoport followed suit, also reporting that it’s likely Lance will get the opportunity to start, and not due to a Garoppolo injury… if the losses continue.
If the 49ers lose on Sunday to a 3-4 Chicago Bears team, the shift to Lance — with their playoff hopes far-fetched at that point, barring Lance carrying them there — may be imminent. If they win, well, the wait may continue to see Lance take the starting job.
