While 49ers fans may be tired of the endless cycle of conversations surrounding the team’s future at the quarterback position, as long as quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance are both on the roster, plenty of opinions will continue circulating. Former 49ers left tackle Joe Staley might be one of the most qualified people to comment on the situation. The Bay Area legend was on KNBR on Tuesday and dove into the challenges Lance, Garoppolo, and head coach Kyle Shanahan will face in the coming season.
“I’m pumped up on it. I think he [Trey Lance] has to develop as a pocket passer because I do think defenses are going to really key on that stuff until he really develops the understanding of progressions and timing. But that will come. And I think once that gets out there, I think the sky’s the limit for this offense…
I personally think it’s gonna be a really great year for Jimmy [Garoppolo] because talking to him this offseason, I feel like he’s really, really focused on completely understanding exactly what Kyle [Shanahan] wants running the offense.” -Joe Staley
While Staley is hyped about the offense’s prospects with Lance, he was also skeptical of any significant timeshare for the rookie early in the season, “I think there’s going to be packages in certain situations that he’ll [Lance] come in. I actually don’t even think it was gonna be a lot like how it was in the third preseason game where they’re rotating first series,” he explained.
The longtime team captain also noted how a quarterback competition could negatively impact a team’s locker room. However, Staley believes that Garoppolo will make the most of the situation.
“I don’t think it’s easy to navigate, but I definitely think it comes down to the people. And I think what’s great about this situation is that Jimmy is a great human being, and I think he understands the situation… He’s a great teammate. He has the mindset of what’s best for the team is best for me… so I think it comes down to the people and the way they respond and I think Jimmy is gonna handle this the right way.”
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