There are a number of striking similarities between the situation the 49ers have at quarterback with Jimmy Garoppolo and rookie Trey Lance and what the Kansas City Chiefs faced in 2017 with Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes. But while it remains to be seen if Lance can approach the type of success Mahomes has had in the NFL, it sounds like the 49ers at least got the same thing from Garoppolo that Mahomes got from Smith in terms of mentorship.
As was the case with Garoppolo in 2021, Smith was a multi-year starter who suddenly found his future with his team in doubt when the Chiefs traded up to select a first-round quarterback (Mahomes) in 2017. And like Garoppolo, Smith held down the starting job while the rookie waited his turn.
While some veteran quarterbacks in that situation may decide to remain angry over the fact their current employer decided to draft their eventual replacement, Smith stayed professional and taught Mahomes everything he could about being an NFL quarterback. The Chiefs traded Smith to Washington following the 2017 season, but his impact was profound, as both Mahomes and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid have made a point on several occasions to give credit to Smith for helping to create a positive environment for Mahomes to learn and grow.
Now that the 2021 season is in the books after the 49ers fell to the Rams in the NFC Championship game, the careers of Garoppolo and Lance are expected to follow a similar path to what Smith and Mahomes went through in 2018. But while the next chapter remains to be written for Garoppolo and Lance, the book sounds a lot to this point like the story of Smith and Mahomes, especially after hearing Lance express his gratitude for Garoppolo during his final media session of the season on Monday.
"Jimmy's the man," Lance said. "You've heard it from everyone. No one's lying about it. He's inspired so many guys in this room. Everything he's played through this year. Everything he's taught me. How he's handled our whole situation. Everyone put us against each other and everything like that in the media throughout this whole year, OTAs, everything, but he's been nothing but a big brother to me this whole year. So whether it's competing with him at practice or sitting in the meeting room asking us questions, he's been nothing but great to me. I have nothing but thankfulness for him and everything he's done and how he's handled everything. Obviously, he's going to be one of my best friends for my whole entire life. I'm super excited to spend a couple weeks with him now in these next few weeks."
Mahomes was viewed as a raw but highly talented prospect when the Chiefs drafted him out of Texas Tech, while Lance may have been even further away coming out of college than Mahomes after playing at a lower level of competition (North Dakota State) while having most of his 2020 season wiped out due to restrictions over COVID-19. But as Mahomes did in 2017, Lance had the opportunity to sit back this season and watch his mentor go through adversity and deftly handle questions about his future while leading his team to a playoff berth. The professionalism and leadership of Smith made a lasting impact on Mahomes, and it sounds like Garoppolo did the same for Lance.
"I go back to Jimmy for everything, but it's the truth," Lance said. "He's the guy I spent probably the most time with throughout this whole entire season, and just the way he handles himself on and off the field is again the best I've ever been around. I'm just thankful again for the opportunity to have him be in front of me to learn from. I learned a lot about myself as far as just what I have to continue to work on."
Along the way, both Mahomes and Lance were able to grow on the practice field while helping the starters prepare for upcoming games. Lance got two starts under his belt in 2021 while Garoppolo was sidelined due to injury, and in the meantime he was given valuable reps when he was asked to emulate the different types of quarterbacks the 49ers were set to face each week.
"I learned a lot on scout team being able to play as and emulate different guys and play different playing styles that aren't necessarily my own," Lance said. "I think I gained a lot from it, gained a lot from playing guys who typically stay in the pocket. And then going to guys like (Eagles QB) Jalen Hurts, (Bears QB) Justin Fields, those guys who can play off-schedule at a really high level. I think I developed as a player, and obviously going against our defense—which I thought was the best defense in the league—going against our defense every single day, obviously every rep makes me better."
The next few weeks will set things in motion for Garoppolo and Lance, although most expect the 49ers to attempt to trade Garoppolo and hand the offense over to Lance for 2022 and beyond. If that's indeed what happens, Lance appears to be much more prepared to be the quarterback of the future than he was when the 49ers drafted him in April of 2021—just as Mahomes was at this time five years ago.
"I learned a ton throughout this year," Lance said. "It was a ton of fun. I got to learn from Jimmy—one of the best dudes I think in my opinion I could have possibly learned from as a person, as a pro, how he handles himself. Me personally, I know I've got a lot to work on, so I'm excited to kind of hit the ground running after a couple weeks off. But I'm just thankful for this opportunity to be a part of this year."