"Yes, Garoppolo has to be a live 49ers option for 2023," Kawakami wrote in a recent mailbag. "I believe it's definitely on the table. How could it not be? Lance is no sure-thing as a playoff-level quarterback in 2023, just like he wasn't at the start of this season. And this is basically the third entire season Lance has missed (including 2020 at NDSU), at a very crucial development period for any young QB."
Kawakami adds that it isn't as straightforward as that, though. San Francisco still has to get through the second half of the season, and a lot could happen before it's over. While the 49ers are better with the addition of running back Christian McCaffrey, the team was hit-and-miss in the first half of the season.
Garoppolo will be a free agent after this season. The 49ers can't prevent that. It was built into his restructured one-year deal. He holds all the cards, so the decision to return has to be Garoppolo's. The quarterback admitted that the offseason drama was a challenge, and he didn't expect to still be with the team during the regular season.
If head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch want Garoppolo back, it will likely have to be as the starter. Otherwise, there is no reason for the veteran quarterback to return. Moreover, he is unlikely to desire to enter another season as Trey Lance's backup.
"That happened once. It won't happen again," Kawakami notes.
Also, what would that say about the 49ers' belief in Lance, the player they surrendered so much draft capital to acquire? Entering the 2022 season, the 49ers insisted that Lance was their guy, and nothing, barring injury, would change that. Unfortunately, an injury did happen, thrusting Garoppolo back into the starting lineup.
Fans will likely view a Garoppolo return as a misstep by the 49ers' decision-makers—a misstep at the most important position in football. One of the benefits of having a quarterback on a rookie contract is that it allows for some salary cap relief and the ability to retain some of your other stars. That benefit might be wasted by trying to hold onto Garoppolo.
Of course, Lance will be entering his third NFL season in 2023, still lacking much pro experience.
Kawakami adds, "If the 49ers and Garoppolo agree to keep this going into 2023, I think Lance would be considered the backup, and I think there could be logical repercussions from that, too."
In the meantime, it sounds like Lance is attacking his rehab, focused on his 2023 return.
"He's grinding," Lynch said last week, "He's convicted to come back and put himself in the best position to be a guy for this team moving forward. And that's what it takes, that kind of single-mindedness, and he has it. It's one of the reasons we brought him here. We sure wish that never happened, but it did, and Trey's making the best of it and approaching it with a tremendous mindset."
More San Francisco 49ers News
Anthony "Spice" Adams to announce 49ers' draft picks in 2nd and 3rd rounds George Kittle's message to Brandon Aiyuk amid contract talks with 49ers: "Be patient" Report: Several teams inquiring about 49ers' Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk Rapoport: Brandon Aiyuk's status 'firmly up in the air' as 49ers near draft