Jimmy Garoppolo will be the San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback come Week 1, right? Unless he isn't. But he probably will be. Most likely. We're all pretty sure of that. Kind of.
Yes, the veteran is the odds-on favorite to be under center when the 49ers face the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on September 12. The No. 3 overall pick, Trey Lance, will likely remain on the sideline but could enter the game in plays specifically designed to take advantage of his athleticism.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has repeatedly declined to officially name his starting quarterback, often noting that there is no competitive advantage in doing so. He's correct, but consistently declining to officially announce the team's worst-kept secret has become somewhat comical.
Shanahan joined KNBR this morning and was asked if he was ready to declare his starting quarterback.
"No, I'm not," Shanahan responded. "And I don't think I'm going to tell anybody. I think everybody's just going to have to see it on Sunday (of Week 1)."
It was worth a shot.
In Shanahan's defense, he has declared all offseason that Garoppolo is the team's starting quarterback, and the plan is to have Lance sit and learn behind the veteran. The coach has stated that he would not object to starting a rookie, which he repeated this morning, but Lance would need to prove that he gives the 49ers the best chance to win.
Did he do that during the preseason? While Lance has shown flashes of his exciting potential, the rookie probably didn't accomplish that just yet.
"I'm not trying to be cute with it or anything, but I think I've been pretty consistent through the whole thing," Shanahan continued. "I don't think it's really a necessary big statement that everyone wants me to make. But I've got two quarterbacks that I think can help us, and we're going to make sure we keep working with both of them throughout the year.
"Jimmy's been our guy since we've been here, and he's done a hell of a job. And I know he's going to help us throughout this year. And I plan on Trey helping us also."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Shanahan below.