While Jason La Canfora continues touting his belief that Baker Mayfield would be a good fit for the San Francisco 49ers, Josina Anderson believes the Niners would be wise to enter the 2022 season with their current trio of quarterbacks—Trey Lance, Nate Sudfeld, and Jimmy Garoppolo.
Both views are going to receive their fair share of criticism from fans. The majority of The Faithful are anxious to see Garoppolo and his salary off the roster. Much of that is because they want to see last year's No. 3 overall pick, Trey Lance, given a chance to prove himself in meaningful snaps. That might not happen if Garoppolo remains on the roster in Week 1. At the very least, it might create an awkward situation in the locker room.
"I don't think he's on their roster this year, but I don't think this is something that gets resolved in the summer, in large part because of his health," La Canfora said on CBS Sports HQ.
Garoppolo is recovering from the shoulder surgery he underwent on March 8 and won't be able to throw until early July. That put his trade on hold.
"Any time anyone gets surgery, especially on their throwing shoulder, teams are going to be a little more nervous on what they want to offer and things like that," head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Tuesday morning in Palm Beach, Florida.
That's where La Canfora and Anderson are reporting from too. The latter feels the 49ers shouldn't be in a rush to get rid of Garoppolo.
"He should be on their roster," Anderson explained. "The arms race that has been going on in the offseason, with the impact of what Les Snead and the Rams did, and all these NBA-type moves going on across the NFL, if you're trying to stay competitive, the best thing to do is keep Jimmy G there.
"And even [general manager] John Lynch said that they can afford it. So, if you can afford it, then just do it. That's the best thing to be competitive. So to me, it shouldn't even be a conversation. The people who are going to have the most confidence in Jimmy G's arm are the 49ers."
Lynch said he doesn't foresee the 49ers releasing Garoppolo, indicating that the 49ers will continue pursuing a trade with hopes that interest increases once the quarterback is healthy. For now, Garoppolo remains on the roster.
"I'm all right with that," Shanahan admitted. "I mean, we're not just getting rid of him to get rid of him. Jimmy's a good player that we all really like as a person and as a teammate. And we're going to wait to see whatever helps the Niners the most."