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Jimmy Garoppolo has played well for the San Francisco 49ers over the past two games, earning his two highest Pro Football Focus grades of the season. Since Week 8, the veteran quarterback has completed over 66 percent of his passes for 648 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.
Still, many wonder why Garoppolo is still starting. The 49ers' season is in shambles, and their playoff hopes are diminishing further with each heartbreaking loss.
Garoppolo probably won't be on the team next year. San Francisco traded a haul of draft capital to move up to select Trey Lance. The rookie quarterback is the future, not Garoppolo. Yet Lance stands on the sidelines, trying to learn from observing. Some would rather see him learn by doing, even if that means making mistakes in the process.
The 49ers are losing anyway. Would fans rather see Garoppolo, who won't be here next season, play well while losing, or Lance take his lumps but learn and potentially be better prepared for next season?
Regardless of which side you are on, there is no doubt that Lance would benefit from
some in-game experience. He made occasional appearances early on but has zero snaps over the past three games. Of course, he was inactive due to a knee sprain for one of those games. He was coming off the injury for another. Lance had no snaps in the 49ers' most recent outing, a 31-17 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
One NFL star turned analyst, Michael Irvin, believes the 49ers need to involve Lance more moving forward.
"I don't care how the rest of [the season] goes or how you want to play the rest of it out," Irvin told Damon Bruce and Ray Ratto on 95.7 The Game. "The rest of it ... however it will fall, must involve Trey Lance getting reps. You can say that no matter what.
"Right now, I don't care what [is happening in] the game, how it's going, where it is, what stage [it's on], 'We're going to give him some reps.' That's the statement I think they should be making, and that's the direction I think they should be going in, bar none."
The 49ers have nine games remaining in the season. They will host the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night before embarking on a stretch that includes matchups against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, and Cincinnati Bengals.
San Francisco closes out the season against the Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, and a rematch with the Rams.
What Irvin admires most about Lance, aside from the 21-year-old's athletic ability, is his confidence. The analyst believes any poor rookie outings will be seen as a learning experience by the young quarterback and not stunt his growth as a player.
Irvin added, "I don't think you have to worry about that with Trey Lance."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Irvin below.
Rumors have swirled regarding the situation between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who is entering his fifth NFL season and is slated to earn $14.124 million on a team-executed fifth-year option. Despite the 49ers publicly declaring a desire to sign Aiyuk to a contract extension, keeping him on the roster for the foreseeable future, many rumors have focused on potential trade interest.
On Monday, general manager John Lynch held his annual pre-draft press conference, addressing the Aiyuk situation without revealing any information on the conversations that have taken place behind closed doors. Once again, he emphasized that the 49ers want Aiyuk to remain with the team for the remainder of his career.
When asked if there was a chance Aiyuk
The decision to trade up in the 2021 NFL Draft and select quarterback Trey Lance could have had significant consequences for general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan. With the team lacking first-round picks in the last two drafts due to this move, and Lance no longer on the roster after being traded to the Dallas Cowboys before last season, it's clear the gamble didn't unfold as expected.
Lynch held his annual pre-draft press conference on Monday, reflecting on the decision to take such a big chance on Lance. While such a bold move might have jeopardized jobs elsewhere, Lynch and Shanahan were blessed with some good fortune in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Acknowledging the support of the team's ownership, Lynch stated, "They believe in Kyle and I, and our
NFL Communications has officially announced the "NFL legends and active players" who will announce selections during Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Representing the San Francisco 49ers will be former defensive tackle Anthony "Spice" Adams, who spent four seasons with the team and nine in the NFL.
San Francisco selected Adams out of Penn State in the second round (No. 57 overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft.
The NFL's full announcement is below.
In the NFL's continuous effort to connect the game's greats with the next generation of stars, NFL Legends and active players will add to the excitement of the 2024 NFL Draft by announcing various selections and participating in festivities in Detroit.
Pro Football Hall of Famers Isaac
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
