Training camp competitions ignited this week with pads coming on for all 32 teams. Here’s a look at some of the notable names at risk of losing their starting gigs this month.
49ers general manager John Lynch gave himself away when he laid on the Garoppolo training camp praise too thick this week.
“He’s played his best football since he’s been here, and he’s played a lot of good football,” Lynch told The Adam Schefter Podcast.
Keep in mind this analysis is coming from a Hall of Fame safety, fully aware that the 49ers had yet to even practice once with pads on when he made the comments. All those OTAs and shorts-and-T-shirts practices early in camp are for teaching and installing. Lynch knows this. The quarterback competition with Trey Lance started in full on Tuesday. Lynch is fully aware Jimmy G’s troubles have come when the hitting starts, where his history of injuries and struggles to make quick decisions under pressure inspired the team to risk it all for Lance in the first place.
Another Lynch quote from the same session was more telling: “People say, ‘Well, what do you do if they’re both playing great?’ That’s another great problem to have, and we’ll deal with that when it comes.”
It’s coming, probably soon. August was never about how Garoppolo played; the 49ers already made their evaluation on him. This month is about whether Lance develops quickly enough to start Week 1 and nothing else. All reports indicate he’s on schedule or ahead of it.
Don’t put much stock in Kyle Shanahan saying he didn’t have a plan to give Lance first-team snaps … a day before he got a first-team snap. What have the 49ers said about their quarterbacks this entire year that would make you believe any of it?
Whether Garoppolo starts in Week 1 or not likely depends on Lance’s preseason. If the rookie can transfer his early practice success to the games, Garoppolo shapes up as the most expensive backup in football. At this stage, that strategy makes more sense than trading him.
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Due nearly $25 million this season, Garoppolo would make for a tricky trade candidate. A team like the Colts, should they have interest, would probably want to negotiate a pay cut without giving up a truly premium draft pick. Why would Garoppolo or the 49ers want to bother?
The 49ers would be paying a lot of money for security, but this 49ers roster is ready to compete for a Super Bowl. Shanahan and Lynch have suffered through three losing seasons out of four largely because of injuries, often at quarterback. Entering the season with both Lance and Garoppolo offers them the best chance to make it to the finish line without having to play backups Nate Sudfeld or Josh Rosen. Just don’t be surprised if Garoppolo is the backup in this equation as early as Week 1. It’s not about him.
