It's a subject that's mostly been skated around, but also one the San Francisco 49ers are being realistic about when they talk publicly. They've alluded to it like the elephant in the room without spelling it out. It's been both a cloud over the season and a catalyst for the improbable playoff run that ended Sunday night when San Francisco lost the NFC Championship Game to the L.A. Rams.
"I'm not going to sit here and make a farewell statement or anything right now. That's the last stuff on my mind," 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said in the bowels of SoFi Stadium afterward.
The "farewell statement" Shanahan mentioned, of course, was the fact Jimmy Garoppolo likely played his last game as the 49ers' quarterback. The last desperate heave, a backhanded throw to JaMycal Hasty that was intercepted to effectively end the game with just over a minute left, is expected to be Garoppolo's last pass in a 49ers gold helmet.
"I love Jimmy," Shanahan said. " ... Jimmy has battled his a-- off. He battled today. And he did some unbelievable things today and I love coaching Jimmy."
The 49ers snuck into the playoffs and upset the Cowboys and Packers because of Garoppolo and despite him. The intangible leadership qualities and resilience — both hyperbolic and unquestionably consequential — mattered in a significant way for San Francisco. Garoppolo was one of the team's leaders and a pillar of the culture that made the playoff run possible after starting the season in a 3-5 hole.
"It wasn't easy," fullback Kyle Juszczk said to reporters Monday. "But I've expressed to you guys and to him privately how much I've appreciated Jimmy, what an awesome teammate and brother he's been to me and all the other guys. We love him and wish him the best."
Garoppolo's limitations hindered 49ers
Conversely, Garoppolo's limitations as a quarterback showed up at the worst possible time. He couldn't evade pressure or make plays when the offensive line succumbed to the Rams' blitzes. He couldn't escape and rush for a first down like so many of the more mobile quarterbacks can. He couldn't help his team overcome the defense's inability to get off the field on third down or the offense's missing running game.
The 49ers won when Garoppolo complemented the defense and running game. He rarely could help the 49ers overcome things if they went sideways in those areas.
Shanahan didn't trust Garoppolo enough to put the ball in his hands on a critical fourth-and-2 before punting, giving the Rams the opportunity to hit the game-tying field goal before eventually taking the fourth-quarter lead. That served as a reminder Shanahan called just eight passes for Garoppolo the last time the 49ers were in the NFC title game against the Packers in January 2020.
Garoppolo's fourth quarter stat line Sunday against the Rams (3 of 9, 30 yards, 4.2 passer rating) was eerily similar to Super Bowl LIV against the Chiefs, when he contributed to San Francisco's collapse (3 of 11, 36 yards, 2.8 rating).
When it mattered most in the two biggest games of his tenure, Garoppolo didn't make the necessary plays that Patrick Mahomes and Matthew Stafford have done, which is among the reasons the 49ers are planning the future with Trey Lance and the skill set emblematic of the young star quarterbacks throughout the league.
"They hit pretty hard in the locker room," Garoppolo said Sunday when asked about the emotions of it likely being his last game with the 49ers.
"I think these next couple of days, it will really start to settle in a little bit. Emotions are high after a game, a win, or a loss. It's just one of those things you got to be glad it happened. Just smile from it and think about the good things. We'll see what happens in these next couple of days, weeks, whatever, but I love this team. The fight and the battle of this team throughout the entire year has been really impressive and I love these guys."
Lance replacing Garoppolo
Replacing Garoppolo between the lines with Lance shouldn't be all that daunting. Yes, he had institutional knowledge of Shanahan's offense and, at times, would make reads quickly and get the ball to the right places.
Those are things that Lance can learn. And he can make up the difference with his athleticism to threaten defenses when plays break down in the meantime. He'll also be a factor in the running game, forcing defenses to account for all 11 players on any given snap.
Lance spoke to reporters Monday and said he hasn't finalized his offseason plans. But he'll likely enlist the help of quarterback gurus like he did leading up to the NFL draft and during the summer break between OTAs and training camp, when he impressed the 49ers coaches with his improvement. Shanahan nudged Lance to work with John Beck, a personal quarterbacks coach who played under Shanahan, before San Francisco took him third overall last spring.
Lance spent his rookie season largely in a redshirt role, though he filled in for Garoppolo for two games, losing on the road in Arizona in October and then helping the 49ers beat Houston in December in a game the team had to win to reach the playoffs.
"I learned a ton throughout this year. It was a ton of fun," Lance said. "Got to learn from Jimmy, who's one of the best dudes, in my opinion, who I could have possibly learned from. As a person, as a pro, how he handles himself. Me personally, I know I got a lot to work on, so I'm excited to hit the ground running after a couple weeks off."
Trust in Trey?
Shanahan said throughout the season that Lance didn't get work with the starting offense outside of the weeks that he started under center, meaning his development was limited to work on the scout team, where he would play against the starting defense to mimic to the upcoming opponent.
"Well, I think he grew a lot, a tremendous amount," All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams said. "Trey is a very inquisitive person. He's not one of the people that thinks he knows it all, he's somebody who comes to learn and comes to work. He's always picking brains, no matter what position you play.
"We even had a talk last night about just quarterback play and how it marries up with offensive linemen and stuff like that for like an hour. So he's that type of individual. And I think this year, it played out how everybody in the organization thought it would. Obviously, they wanted to give him a year to continue to develop. A 21-year-old, he was just old enough to buy his first beer or pack of cigarettes a few months ago. So we can't just put the weight of the world on his shoulders."
There's little doubt Lance will be the biggest offseason storyline for the 49ers once they find a trade partner for Garoppolo, which could come in the upcoming weeks before getting formalized when the 2022 league year begins in March.
Lance will be the novice driver behind the wheels of a Ferrari, with an array of weapons in the passing game once Garoppolo is dealt. He'll have two All Pros in George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, an offensive line with another at left tackle in Williams, and a running game built around Elijah Mitchell, who set a 49ers record for rushing yards by a rookie running back.
Which leads Shanahan and general manager John Lynch to figure out how to maximize the roster around Lance. The expectations will be Super Bowl or bust after coming up just short with Garoppolo.
