The biggest storyline for the 49ers this offseason has been whether second-year quarterback Trey Lance is ready to be San Francisco’s starting signal caller for the 2022 season. That coincides with the progression of veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, the incumbent starter, following the offseason surgery on his right shoulder.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Garoppolo’s agents, Don Yee and Carter Chow, received permission from the franchise to seek a trade as Garoppolo was cleared to start practicing, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be on the roster for Week 1.
With six days remaining before rookies and veteran players report to 49ers’ training camp, San Francisco legend Steve Young recently spoke with Lance, sharing wisdom with the 22-year-old on how to navigate the team’s quarterback situation going into Year 2.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer and Lance threw the ball back and forth to each other at SAP Performance Facility in Santa Clara, Calif. while Young gave him some much-needed advice.
“I said, ‘Any footprints that you see ahead of you—they’re mine,” Young said on 95.7 The Game’s Dan and Ratto Show. “There’s no way you’re gonna go through something in the next 10 years, specifically in San Francisco, that I don’t have context for.’”
Lance’s current situation is very familiar to what Young faced in his career when he once lived in the shadows of Joe Montana as a backup from 1987 to ’90. However, Young went on to see significant playing time in ’91, becoming a starter in ’92 and going on to win two MVPs and a Super Bowl MVP. But even as the success came, Young shared that it was hard to make his mark initially because he found himself trying to “impress” Montana on the sidelines.
As for Lance, he does not have a lot of on-the-field experience. As Garoppolo’s backup last season, Lance threw for 603 yards on 41-for-71 passing and recorded five touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing for 168 yards and a touchdown.
While Garoppolo has reportedly been cleared to practice, the 49ers are still exercising caution with him, per Schefter. Even more, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that Garoppolo has a $24.2 million base pay in 2022. Currently, only one team—the Browns—have the cap space to take on Garoppolo’s pay without moving some pieces around. And, while things are not guaranteed, it could still be a while before Garoppolo finds his next NFL destination.
If Lance becomes the 49ers signal caller in 2022, Young believes he has what it takes to do the job but needs to prove that he can deliver the ball consistently down the field.
“He [Lance] needs to prove to all of us that he’s an elite deliverer of the football,” Young said, per the show. “I really believe he’s already an elite processor of quarterbacking.”
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