National Football League

Jimmy Garoppolo: Trey Lance still has 'bright future' following 49ers trade

Published Aug. 29, 2023 2:37 p.m. ET

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Jimmy Garoppolo shared some positive words for the quarterback who was once expected to replace him in San Francisco following a trade to Dallas over the weekend. 

The now-Raiders quarterback expressed optimism for Trey Lance's future after he fell down to No. 3 on the 49ers' depth chart prior to his trade to the Cowboys last week.

"Excited for Trey. Just a new opportunity for him," Garoppolo told NFL Media. "Things didn't work out in San Francisco for whatever reasons, but glad that he gets another shot, man. This league's all about opportunities, and when you get a fresh one like that, you've just got to take advantage of it. 

"Everyone has their own path and everything like that. It's never going to be easy, but it's how you come out the other end of it. So I'm always excited for him, man. He's a brother of mine. Always pulling for him."

The trade of Lance ended one of the briefest tenures for a top-five pick on the team that drafted him in recent history. The 49ers traded three first-round picks plus a third-round pick to move up to the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft in order to select Lance, a sign that Garoppolo's time in San Francisco was likely close to ending.

But Garoppolo hung onto his starting job for the 2021 season, helping the 49ers reach the NFC Championship Game that year just two seasons after they made the Super Bowl with him at quarterback. San Francisco eventually named Lance its starting quarterback following the 2021 season, leaving Garoppolo's future in flux for the majority of the 2022 offseason. 

Garoppolo eventually stuck around in San Francisco for the 2022 season, reworking his contract ahead of the regular season and eventually regaining his starting job when Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2. 

The 49ers eventually parted ways with Garoppolo, letting him walk away this offseason as he signed with the Raiders.

As Dak Prescott could eventually find himself in a similar situation that Garoppolo was in, Garoppolo believes that Lance's arrival in Dallas can be a good thing for Prescott.

"There's always a younger guy trying to come in, and obviously, the coaches want younger, cheaper players to do something that they think is better than you," Garoppolo said. "But that's what makes this league so great, man. It pushes you.

"Having to train whoever it was the Niners drafted, that was gonna push me and make me a better player, and I came out better on the other end from it. So I think it's all about perspective. You've gotta realize where you rank in this whole thing and just what an opportunity this is to be in the NFL, to be an NFL quarterback. It's not easy, but you've gotta love it, man."

Jerry Jones did not consult Dak or McCarthy before Cowboys land Trey Lance

Lance didn't end up being the biggest reason that the 49ers eventually moved on from Garoppolo. Brock Purdy's emergence late last season made it easier for San Francisco to move on as it declared the 2022 seventh-round pick its starting quarterback for the 2023 season. The team also signed Sam Darnold over the offseason. 

Darnold officially usurped Lance on the depth chart last week, leading to the 23-year-old quarterback's trade two days later. Lance ended his 49ers career with just four starts under his belt, going 2-2 in those games as he threw for 757 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions over his eight career games. He also added 235 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in his two regular seasons in San Francisco. 

As 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan recently said he felt he "let Trey down," Garoppolo seemed unsure why things didn't work out for Lance in San Francisco, but he's still a fan of his. 

"I don't know how the whole thing shook out and everything," Garoppolo said. "While I was there, Kyle was gonna call the plays for you. You've just got to go up there and execute them to the best of your ability. 

"Trey's a brother of mine, man, so like I said before, I'm always pulling for him. I think he's got a bright future in this league. Dude's got talent. Just got to get him out there."

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