San Francisco 49ers

Could Jimmy Garoppolo return to 49ers if Trey Lance isn't ready?

Published Feb. 25, 2022 8:53 a.m. ET

The San Francisco 49ers boast one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, as evidenced by their trip to the NFC Championship Game this past season.

But with all the team's talent, the biggest question mark remains at the quarterback position.

After San Francisco selected Trey Lance with the third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, it has been widely speculated that he will be handed the keys to the franchise in 2022, and that the 49ers will move away from QB Jimmy Garoppolo.

But ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter doesn't see it as a lock that the 49ers will trade Garoppolo this offseason, as Lance might not be quite ready to become the starter.

"I'm just telling you that Trey Lance was probably further behind than people realized," Schefter told Ari Meirov of Pro Football Focus. "Trey Lance is greener than people realized. Trey Lance is going to need more work than people realized. And they have a roster that can win now."

If that's the case, Chris Broussard believes that running it back with Garoppolo might be the move that gives the 49ers the best chance to reach the Super Bowl.

"I'm not saying Trey Lance can never be good. What I'm saying is we act like three Hall of Fame quarterbacks are coming out in every draft," Broussard said on "First Things First."

"A lot of these first-round draft picks will not be that good. Just because he was drafted high in the first round doesn't mean he's ready and doesn't mean he is going to be great."

Lance saw limited action in 2021, appearing in six games, including two starts. For the season, he passed for 603 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions.

And for as inconsistent as Garoppolo can be, in his past two fully healthy seasons, the 49ers went to the Super Bowl in 2019 and to the NFC Championship Game this year.

Still, with the possibility of Garoppolo returning at quarterback being floated, Nick Wright isn't buying what the 49ers are selling.

"What [Niners GM] John Lynch doesn't want is the NFL to be like, 'You're trading him no matter what,'" Wright said. "That is negotiating from a position of weakness. So it behooves the Niners to have it out there that [they] might keep him. You better offer that first-round pick instead of a second and a fifth."

Whether it's posturing by Lynch, or a real possibility that Garoppolo could return, remains to be seen.

But with free agency weeks away, the answer to San Francisco's quarterback question will be answered sooner rather than later.