Shanahan: Trey Lance to be starting quarterback 'Sooner than Later'

While San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan won’t commit to sophomore quarterback Trey Lance as his starter to begin the 2022 NFL season, it appears Lance is the favorite to be the No. 1 signal-caller in The Golden City.

BetMGM certainly projects it to be Lance under center in Week 1 for the 49ers.

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After all, San Francisco traded three first-round selections to grab Lance third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, and the organization doesn’t have another first-round pick until the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Shanahan also acknowledged that he expects Lance to be the No. 1 quarterback 'sooner than later', according to ESPN. 

Incumbent starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, which might be why he hasn’t been dealt by the 49ers, despite being widely considered on the trade block. Shanahan hinted as much, at least:

“We were trying to make a move to add some draft picks ... and we were pretty close to it. And then Jimmy ended up getting the surgery, which changes things.”

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Garoppolo started 15 of 17 games last season with a 9-6 record, and Lance went 1-1 in his two starts while the former was out due to a calf contusion in Week 5 and a Grade 3 UCL sprain and fracture in his right thumb in Week 17.

Additionally, while it’s important to note that Garoppolo led San Francisco to the NFC Championship Game this year, he hardly passed the eye test during the playoff run. Moreover, completing just 43 passes for 363 yards with three interceptions over three games barely moves the statistical needle.

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Interestingly, when BetMGM released its NFL MVP betting trends on March 10, Lance was the sportsbooks’ biggest liability to win the award.

Week 1 is still over six months away, so the trade market could improve for Garoppolo. However, if he sticks with the 49ers, Lance will probably have to gift the starting quarterback job back to Garoppolo. 

After five years with the organization, San Francisco knows what it has in Jimmy G. 

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