Why didn’t Trey Lance start? The 49ers’ commitment to Jimmy Garoppolo makes the QB situation a mess
49ers fans waiting for the return of “The Land of Trey” may have to wait a little longer.
The 49ers send out two future first-round picks for the #3 overall pick, which turns out to be Trey Lance in the 2021 NFL Draft which means the future is now. Or later. Or, it seems, at last.
Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers have insisted that the best way to develop their highly-rated QB prospect is to keep him on the bench, a strategy that may or may not work for them long-term. .
With Jimmy Garoppolo still a viable starter for San Francisco, the 3-5 warm-up had fans calling for a change in midfield, leading many to wonder why Lance didn’t start. . While draft philosophies vary, one thing is for sure: the 49ers have spent a lot of future draft capital on a guy whose job size has been very small so far this season.
Shanahan’s comments also don’t paint a pretty picture for Lance’s starting prospects in 2021.
Why didn’t Trey Lance start?
Answer: Anyone can guess.
While Lance had a chance to replace Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 5 against the Cardinals, he’s been on the sidelines ever since. After a bye week, knee injury and Garoppolo’s chance to start again, the 49ers resisted the urge to let Lance play. Lance last had a brace in Week 5.
Although Lance left college as a project, it seems the 49ers’ direction is to try and develop Lance for the future rather than forcing him into current situations after having tried so hard at the start of the season. .
In late October, head coach Kyle Shanahan explained why Lance wasn’t allowed longer to start:
“We didn’t draft Trey to just fix this year,” says Shanahan. We don’t play him just because of what our record is, or just because. “
There was also the issue of Jimmy Garoppolo, who played “fine” (in Shanahan’s words) despite missing a game through injury. ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports that he doesn’t feel that Shanahan will change Garoppolo any time soon – as long as Garoppolo plays, well, fine.
On Halloween, Lance seemed healthy and ready to go. Shanahan, though, didn’t want to risk putting Lance on the field in case Garoppolo is injured.
In the end, the question remains: It’s not that the Lance utilization rate is dead in this world, but why are the 49ers more willing to use Lance at the start of the season (129 seconds total through Week 5) and not right now?
The backlash against Lance continued this past weekend: After a tough Week 9 loss to a Cardinals without a German, Shanahan was asked if he would consider making a QB change to the game. Niners’ Week 10 with Rams or not.
“Probably not, but definitely not thinking about those things right now. I’m thinking about this game and the rest of our team,” Shanahan said after the game.
The defense is playing a tighter 49ers passing game, with Garoppolo’s tendency to play short and midfield throws (as the Shanahan system calculates). Garoppolo’s ability to stretch the pitch has always been something of a question mark, something Lance’s physical traits would allow him to do.
But, to hell or high water, it looks like it will be Garoppolo – for now.
