49ers’ Trey Lance ‘grew leaps and bounds’ with Jimmy Garoppolo absent

Officially speaking, it’s still unclear if the San Francisco 49ers plan to part ways with veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo so that 2021 rookie Trey Lance can enter training camp as the team’s undisputed starter, or if the two could once again share a roster later this year. 

Unofficially, Lance is already atop the depth chart at the sport’s most important position. 

While Garoppolo was recovering from March shoulder surgery away from the 49ers throughout the spring, Lance served as the team’s QB1 from organized team activities through mandatory minicamp. As Kirk Larrabee noted for 49ers WebZone, Peter Schrager of Fox Sports and NFL Network explained during a Wednesday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” that Lance has essentially taken control of the offense. 

“(Garoppolo) has not been with the team,” Schrager remarked. “He has been, for the most part, when he’s been training, he’s been in Southern California. 

“Trey Lance has been with the team. Trey Lance has been leading practices. Trey Lance has been leading guys. Trey Lance has been throwing with wide receivers. I don’t know if the train has left the station as far as like, ‘Who are you going into battle with Week 1?’ Trey Lance grew leaps and bounds the past few months, from what I’m told, as far as playbook but also as far as voice in the locker room. And with Jimmy being gone, Trey has really taken that and been like, ‘Alright, I’m the dude. Follow me.’ And a lot of the guys are starting to follow and say, ‘Okay, this is going to be our future leader.'”

Earlier this month, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said that Garoppolo could report to training camp in late July “unless we trade him.” Schrager thinks such a brief reunion could ultimately benefit all involved. 

“I can see Jimmy being back in San Francisco and then figuring something out and try and trade him during training camp once he starts getting those throws in,” Schrager added during his comments. 

It was previously suggested teams hadn’t yet traded for Garoppolo or Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns because it was believed both could be cut by their employers this summer. One would assume, though, that any interested club would prefer to have either signal-caller around his new teammates when training camp opens.