There is yet another transition taking place in Santa Clara, this time from Jimmy Garoppolo, a quarterback who helped guide the 49ers to a Super Bowl just two seasons ago, to rookie Trey Lance. The topic has been discussed at length. When should it happen? How should it happen?
Most of the quarterback discussion is done with an outside perspective. This week, Rice joined the 49ers Talk podcast to share the behind-the-scenes perspective and what a quarterback transition is like for players.
"It's kind of hard to really compare the two [transitions] because Joe [Montana], he was at the top of his game," Rice told Laura Britt. "Then, as Joe got older, and this happened to me too, the team wants to go in a different direction. So, here's Steve Young. We could tell there was something going on but as players, you still try to stay focused and just pay attention to detail, and do what you have to do from your position.
"I'm sure the players know what's happening with Jimmy G and also Trey Lance. Now, can this work by committee with both going back and forth with [the] quarterbacks? It happens. You see it all the time in college."
This isn't college, though, where players' careers can be much shorter than at the professional level. There needs to be more consistency in the NFL for teams to create sustained success, and Rice acknowledged that.
"I'm one of those guys, I always felt like you needed to know exactly who that guy is and that you had to build around that guy," Rice added. "You had to do whatever you had to do to make that individual perform at his best on the football field. Now, Kyle Shanahan, he feels he can go back and forth, and he's the coach of the team. But I always wanted to know exactly who was going to be behind center."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Rice below. It begins at about the 36:30 mark.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
Talanoa Hufanga shares a heartfelt farewell to 49ers and fans
All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga took to Instagram on Saturday to say goodbye to the San Francisco 49ers and their fans. The standout defender signed with the Denver Broncos in free agency after spending his first four NFL seasons with the 49ers. "Change is always exciting, but... -
49ers Brandon Aiyuk trade: Why moving him now makes sense—and why it doesn't
The 49ers' return window for Brandon Aiyuk closes April 1, offering the Niners one final opportunity to trade him and move on from a contract decision they reportedly never wanted to make. No, it's not April Fools, but it sure feels a lot like Groundhog Day. Just months after... -
NFL.com mock draft: How one selection can strengthen the 49ers defense in multiple ways
NFL.com draft analyst Eric Edholm recently released his second mock draft of the year, suggesting that the San Francisco 49ers could address multiple defensive concerns with a single selection. After losing key contributors this offseason, including linebacker Dre Greenlaw and... -
Evan Anderson, Tatum Bethune, Among 49ers Players Named as Breakout Candidates by Team Insider
Matt Barrows, one of the 49ers reporters for The Athletic, is out with a new article looking at "Ben Bartch and 6 other little-known 49ers who could have big roles in 2025." In it, he details which players could break out and help the team compete in 2025, despite having a...