Former 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia offered a number of thoughts this week on Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, including why he thinks Lance has the right recipe for greatness and why Garoppolo needs to take a step forward this season regardless of where he winds up in the team's pecking order.
Garcia joined KNBR's Mark Willard Show on Tuesday (click here to listen) to talk about his upcoming football camp in his hometown of Gilroy, California (https://jeffgarciafootball.com/) and also took a few minutes to discuss what he sees from Lance and what he'd like to see from Garoppolo as the two quarterbacks compete for the 49ers starting spot this season. The 49ers obviously have high expectations for Lance after trading up to select him with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and Garcia thinks Lance has the confidence he needs to live up to those expectations and become a great NFL quarterback.
"I think Trey Lance has that," Garcia said. "I think he really believes that within himself, he can do the necessary things -- whether it's in the classroom, in the weightroom, on the practice field, on gameday -- that he can be great."
Garcia went on to say Lance is in the right place motivation-wise to become the player the 49ers would like him to be and will be in a position to prove wrong any doubters who wonder about his lack of experience.
"I see a young man who is extremely mature, who is wise beyond his years," Garcia said. "Yes, the inexperience is going to be brought up because he's only had one full year at a collegiate level. It was at a lower division. But the kid has moxie to him. He has grit. He has resilience. He has a chip on his shoulder, which I think is key -- to want to prove to people that he belongs and he's going to exceed everybody else's opinion and what they because his own expectations are higher than anybody else's. And that's what you have to be in order to be at this level. You have to have that want and desire within yourself -- that burning fire, that fuel to your fire to want to prove people wrong. Even if it's just one person that is against you, that's the person that motivates you."
Garcia knows what it's like to compete for and hold onto an NFL starting quarterback job, which is a situation Garoppolo may find himself in this season. He shared some advice for Garoppolo, saying it'll be important for him this season to put his best foot forward -- not just for the 49ers, but for any other team that could be interested down the line.
"Talking to Jimmy, it's control what you can control," Garcia said. "You are who you are. I think the key aspect for him is will he challenge himself to be the best he can be?"
Garcia added, "I think there are lot of improvements [Garoppolo] can still continue to make within himself that will make him a better quarterback. And if it's not meant to be for the future of the 49ers, he's auditioning for a job somewhere else in the National Football League. There's nothing more that should be powering his motivation than to prove to San Francisco that he is the best person for the job right now and that he is not going to lose that tight grip on being the starting quarterback without challenging himself and showing that he is the best guy for he job."
Garcia played five seasons with the 49ers (1999-2003) and was selected to three Pro Bowls before signing with the Cleveland Browns in 2004. Garcia also had NFL stints with the Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Oakland Raiders.
