San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York recently told NBC Sports Bay Area that there is no rush to get rookie quarterback Trey Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft, onto the football field. That's why the team held onto Jimmy Garoppolo, who has two years remaining on his contract.
York didn't guarantee that Garoppolo would play out that contract in its entirety with the 49ers. But if that's what it took to eventually get the most out of Lance, allowing the young quarterback the luxury of sitting and learning, then ownership is willing to pay Garoppolo for that privilege.
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The conversation has been debated at length. Garoppolo is set to count over $53 million against the salary cap over the next two seasons, per OverTheCap.com. That is a significant investment. The 49ers also invested a lot to acquire Lance, including trading away two first-round draft picks over the next two years.
NFL Media's Bucky Brooks doesn't see a problem with 49ers ownership coming out and declaring that it will be patient in Lance's development.
"I actually like this," Brooks said on NFL Network. "I think what Jed York has done, he's taken all the pressure off the coaching staff to rush Trey Lance onto the field. Because what we do know is Jimmy Garoppolo has won a lot of games for the San Francisco 49ers. He's 22-8 (not counting playoffs). They've gone to a Super Bowl with Jimmy Garoppolo as their QB1. So, really, there's no rush to necessarily get Trey Lance on the field."
Whenever Lance is ready to take over for Garoppolo, Brooks feels the North Dakota State star's presence can be a game-changer for head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers.
"That said, Trey Lance could make this offense nearly indefensible," Brooks continued, "because what we haven't seen in this running game is a dynamic playmaker at the position that can impact and impose his will with his legs.
"You add that to a zone running scheme that is already difficult to defend, with weapons on the outside like Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle, good luck trying to defend the San Francisco 49ers when and if Trey Lance gets his opportunity to play quarterback."