It sounds like the San Francisco 49ers believe they can win a Super Bowl with Jimmy Garoppolo as the starting quarterback. It doesn't sound like FS1's Nick Wright is as confident, though. The First Things First host feels head coach Kyle Shanahan should be more willing to play rookie Trey Lance earlier and not necessarily sit the rookie quarterback for the season. And that's even if Garoppolo is healthy and the team is doing well.
"I don't think you should need some massive losing streak in order to potentially turn the reigns over," Wright said. "I just think you need to see enough from Trey in practice to know the moment's not going to be too big for him."
Wright believes that everything should depend on Lance's comfort level with the playbook and not how Garoppolo or the team is doing. He feels when the rookie is ready, the transition should take place. Shanahan should not wait, as Andy Reid did with Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes.
"I feel like Mahomes' rookie year, [the Chiefs] could have gone to the Super Bowl if they would have made that quarterback switch," Wright, an admitted disgruntled Chiefs fan, commented. "Now, Trey Lance isn't Patrick Mahomes, but I still feel like that was a missed opportunity."
Wright doesn't believe Garoppolo can guide the 49ers deep into the postseason again, as he did during the 2019 season.
"What I know is the Niners can't win the Super Bowl with Jimmy Garoppolo," Wright declared. "I know [cohost Kevin Wildes] is like, 'But they almost did.' Yeah, they almost did, and they didn't. By the way, the Niners that year could have won the Super Bowl with Jimmy Garoppolo. [This year's] team's not as good [as that one].
"They don't have quite the same weapons on either side of the ball they had the year they went to the Super Bowl, and their defense is not as dominant, and Robert Saleh's gone, and DeForest Buckner's gone. It's not the same team. So you're going to need more out of your quarterback."
What are your thoughts on Wright's comments? Can the 49ers win the Super Bowl with Garoppolo? How does this year's team compare to the 2019 squad? Leave a comment below.
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