Johnson to battle to remain a starter

Sunday could be quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's final game in red and gold. Of course, the San Francisco 49ers hope Garoppolo keeps playing beyond this weekend, but not necessarily beyond the playoffs. That's because most believe the team wants to transition to its No. 3 overall pick, Trey Lance, for 2022. "My understanding is the 49ers are still committed to first-round pick Trey Lance as their starter moving forward, which means they're expected to explore trade options for Garoppolo," Ian Rapoport said on NFL Network. "And for his part, he really seems to be soaking it in and savoring this moment. Don't take my word for it. Garoppolo actually told [The] MMQB, earlier in the week, that he thought before the last game, 'This could be

Jimmy Garoppolo makes his mistakes. That hasn't deterred head coach Kyle Shanahan from sticking with him, though. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback delivered a gutsy performance in the regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Rams, playing through a torn ligament and chipped bone in his right thumb. The Week 18 win set up a playoff matchup against an old rival—the Dallas Cowboys. The 49ers went into AT&T Stadium and emerged with a 23-17 victory, which was anything but pretty. A playoff win is a playoff win, though, and the Niners will move on to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers. Garoppolo finished the game 16-of-25 passing for a pedestrian 172 yards and a rather ugly interception. But he did so while enduring the pain of throwing. That

The San Francisco 49ers have signed wide receiver KeeSean Johnson to a reserve/future contract, per the NFL transaction wire. The Arizona Cardinals made Johnson (6-1, 201) a sixth-round selection out of Fresno State in 2019. The 25-year-old has caught 36 passes for 360 yards with a touchdown through his first two NFL seasons. The Cardinals waived him on August 30, 2021. The Philadelphia Eagles signed Johnson to their practice squad on September 2, 2021. He appeared in their Wild Card playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on January 16, a 31-15 loss. Johnson played two offensive snaps and 16 special teams snaps in the postseason appearance. The 49ers worked