Camp Battles: 49ers QBs

 

It's June and the 2021 NFL Season is rapidly approaching. As it does, I'm going to be looking at some key position battles throughout the league each Monday as a preview of the upcoming NFL Season.

In 2019, the San Francisco 49ers made it all the way to the Super Bowl. In 2020, the team failed to make the playoffs. The difference was a healthy quarterback that was capable of guiding the offense. That's why this off-season, the 49ers looked to improve their odds and improve the position.

The team was rumored to be in on Deshaun Watson, but when that became an unviable option, the team traded three First Round picks, plus extras, to move up to the No. 3 pick in the draft. There, the 49ers took North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance, who has quickly become a popular pick in dynasty rookie drafts. Lance appears to be the future, but just when that future will start is an open question heading into 2021 as the 49ers still have veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Jimmy G. was once a prize acquisition by the 49ers, who inked him to a lucrative long-term deal. The problem has been his availability. Jimmy played just three games before suffering a season-ending injury in 2018, and was limited to just six games in an injury-plagued season in 2020. In between, he had a phenomenal 2019, where he went 13-3 as a starter.

In that season, he threw for 3,978 yards and 27 TDs. He also added 62 yards rushing and a TD. While it wasn't eye-popping numbers, Jimmy seemed to be a solid fit for the 49ers, guiding the team to the Super Bowl. Though, there were some questions about whether a QB with a better, stronger arm could have made a difference in that Super Bowl contest.

If the best ability is availability, then that's the biggest knock on Jimmy G. so far. He's only played 25 of a possible 48 games the last three seasons. But, if healthy, he could well be the starter in 2021... at least to begin the season.

Lance played for North Dakota State, and the biggest knock is his lack of experience as a starter and playing at a lower level of competition. He only started one season, 2019, as the pandemic wiped out the 2020 season for the Bison. He threw for 2,786 yards and 28 TDs with no INTs. Eye-popping numbers for sure, especially combined with 1,100 rush yards and 14 more TDs, but it's a small sample size. Still, it was Lance's upside and potential that made him appealing.

But it was his lack of experience that made him more of a development project. And the 49ers have indicated they won't rush to put Lance on the field, especially with Jimmy G. on the roster. Training Camp and the pre-season will tell us a lot here.

My suspicion is that Jimmy G. starts the season, and if the 49ers play well and remain in contention, and Jimmy remains on the field, that won't change. The team has indicated it would be fine letting Lance sit for a year. While Lance is a great grab in dynasty, I suspect his on field impact in 2021 will be limited.