Jimmy Garoppolo ‘more than happy’ to mentor 49ers rookie Trey Lance

When the San Francisco 49ers selected Trey Lance with the third pick of the NFL Draft, it seemed like the team openly picked Jimmy Garoppolo’s replacement. Despite that, the veteran quarterback expressed no resentment toward the rookie, saying that he looked forward to getting to mentor him like Tom Brady did to him when he was with the Patriots.

“Tom kind of showed me the ropes,” Garoppolo said of Brady. “The competition between us was awesome. It really made me grow as a rookie and as a young player. So, that’s kind of what me and Trey, we’ll mold our relationship into that. But it will happen naturally. It’s one of those things you can’t force anything. Just let it come as it may.”

Garoppolo is expected to begin the season as the starter, as most experts believe Lance needs work before he is ready for the NFL. Still, the 49ers paid a handsome sum to grab Lance, giving up three first-round picks to move up to the third pick. This indicates Garoppolo’s days in San Francisco may be numbered, but for now, he is just focused on helping Lance and preparing for the season. 

Garoppolo said that he remembers how overwhelming it was jumping from college to the pros, and he wants to make that transition as smooth as possible for his new teammate.

“It’s a bit of an adjustment, the speed, whatever you want to call it, it’s just different,” Garoppolo explained. “So, whatever I can do to help, him I’ll be more than happy.”