Most of the San Francisco 49ers training camp chatter has surrounded the team's quarterback situation with veteran starter Jimmy Garoppolo and rookie Trey Lance. So as a change of pace, let's hear from the team's best offensive lineman, Trent Williams ...
... as he talks about the quarterback situation.
Williams, like his teammates, was quick to praise Garoppolo and Lance during a Thursday-morning interview on KNBR. He thinks highly of both and feels the 49ers can win with either of them. In his opinion, the roster is stacked. Williams feels San Francisco's roster can beat anyone in the league, assuming mass injuries don't sweep through the team like last season.
What has Williams seen from the two quarterbacks at the top of the depth chart? Is Lance breathing down Garoppolo's neck?
"Nah, I don't think it's a competition yet," Williams told Brian Murphy and Paul McCaffrey. "Jimmy has played lights out. I know a lot of people won't say that, but Jimmy has been ballin'. I mean, he's got this offense moving.
"So, I don't really see a quarterback competition at this time. But Trey is an outstanding talent. It's hard to deny that. When you see him throw the ball, when you see him run the ball, you know that's a generational talent. I mean, we're lucky to have QB1 and QB2 be extremely talented, and I think they both have what it takes to get us where we need to go.
"... Trey just turned 21, so I don't think it would be a good thing for anybody to try to rush him. We've got time to let him develop. Personally, I think that's what's best. Now, Trey has been developing at a very high speed. I'll say that as well. But for right now, Jimmy's in control, and I think everybody's OK with that."
Having Lance as Garoppolo's backup this season does set Williams' mind at ease. Last season, the 49ers struggled to succeed when Garoppolo was sidelined because the drop-off to QB2 was significant. Lance's presence adds a level of security to the quarterback depth chart.
If something similar happened this season, Wiliams knows the team can still win with Lance at the helm of the offense.
"But just seeing what Trey has to offer, and knowing that if something happened to Jimmy, that's who's coming up, I think everybody can sleep good at night because we know what happened to us last year when Jimmy went down," Williams shared. "You know that kind of had us dead in the water for a second. Just knowing that we won't run into that same problem, if that does happen again, it's a very confident feeling.
"But to answer your question, no, I don't think there's a QB competition. But I do think that both of those QBs are extremely talented, and for us to be sitting here saying that about Trey at 21, I think that just goes to show you how well he's coming along."
You can listen to the entire interview with Williams below. The offensive tackle also recaps his decision to re-sign with the 49ers and his thoughts on head coach Kyle Shanahan.
