Jimmy Garoppolo is playing for more than just wins this year. He’s in the battle of his career, attempting to hold off his inevitable benching in San Francisco. Bay area fans are ready for Trey Lance to be named the 49ers’ starting quarterback right now, and it doesn’t matter to them how ready Lance is nor how well Jimmy G is playing currently.
When Lance scored a one-yard touchdown vs. the Packers in last night’s last-second 30-28 loss, the crowd popped like crazy for the third-overall pick. The fans may have been even louder when Trey trotted onto the field before the play. These fans are over Garoppolo, and are prepared for Lance to take the reins. Whether he is ready for the moment doesn’t seem to matter. Niners fans have witnessed a couple of years of Garoppolo and have apparently seen enough.
It’s obvious that head coach Kyle Shanahan isn’t in lockstep with the fans on this decision. In their minds, Lance should be on the field now, taking all the QB1 snaps under center. The gadget plays are nice, but fans are ready to see Lance get on the field and air the ball out in ways Garoppolo can’t even dream of.
If Shanahan felt like Lance was ready to take over the starting QB role, he’d be out there more than he has been so far. Now, Lance will dethrone Jimmy G at some point during the season, but it may be closer to the midseason point, if not later.
Although the Niners did lose a heartbreaker to the Packers at home on Sunday night, Garoppolo didn’t have a bad game. Jimmy G passed for 257 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, and completed 62.5 percent of his attempts. Those aren’t bad numbers, but they don’t wow you.
Niners fans are ready to be wowed again.
Garoppolo’s underneath style, and lack of flair on the field have become boring to the Niners fan base. Losing that game last night to Green Bay in that fashion will only increase the fans’ hunger for Lance over Jimmy G-Q.
Niners fans do not care about Garoppolo helping this team get to the Super Bowl two years ago. That’s old news. In this internet and social media age, it’s all about what you’ve done lately. Instant gratification rules the day, and Niners fans want what they want. But coach Shanahan is telling his fanbase with his actions what’s best for them, since they can’t figure it out for themselves.
When Shanahan feels Lance is ready to take over, believe me, he’ll be out there making plays, sending Garoppolo to the sideline to hold the iPad. Let’s not forget that Lance only played in one game during his 2020 college season. So, it’s been a couple of years since he’s seen consistent action, and nowhere near the level of NFL competition playing at North Dakota State.
R-E-L-A-X Niners fans, you’ll get your Trey eventually. If Shanahan is bringing the rookie along slowly, it’s for a good reason. When the time is right, Lance will become the starter. Until then, just sit back and hope Jimmy G can stay upright, so you don’t have to see Lance forced into action before he’s ready. Let the kid sit back and learn a little before he’s thrown to the NFL wolves. The longer Lance sits, the better he’ll be in the long run.
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