NFL legend Jerry Rice sat down with Ashley Nicole Moss of Sports Illustrated at Radio Row ahead of Super Bowl LVI. The Hall of Fame receiver was asked about his former team, the San Francisco 49ers, and the impending quarterback decision.
Everyone expects the 49ers to part ways with starter Jimmy Garoppolo, officially ushering in the Trey Lance era in the Bay Area. Moss asked Rice about Garoppolo, his future, and the criticisms surrounding the quarterback. Are they warranted?
"I think with Jimmy G, I think he puts a lot of pressure on himself, and I'm not sure where he's going to end up," Rice said. "He might end [up back] in San Francisco. But I think the thing about him, you've got to continue to build around a team. You've got to have those playmakers. I think they've got that with George Kittle and also Deebo Samuel and all that."
Garoppolo and the 49ers made it to the NFC Championship Game this season. The quarterback even put together a string of games where he played at a very high level. Rice worries about the quarterback's lack of consistency, though.
In Week 16, Garoppolo suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb, making each pass very painful. Still, the 49ers managed to clinch a playoff berth in the final week of the regular season. Then a shoulder injury in the opening round of the playoffs made things more difficult for Garoppolo. He tossed an interception in each postseason matchup and at least one in eight of his 15 regular-season starts.
"But it's been a rollercoaster with Jimmy G," Rice continued. "There are some great games, then there are some bad games, and some errant throws and all that. So I think what the Niners are looking for is a little bit more consistency, like a Joe [Burrow].
"I'm not sure what's going to happen to [Garoppolo], or if he's going to be with the Niners, or if he's going to end up in Tampa Bay. I don't know."