Lance, after all, has just two NFL starts after limited collegiate experience. Only those inside the 49ers building know the real thoughts about Lance's development. The team seems intent on trading Garoppolo and officially ushering in the Lance era.
What is the origin of all these rumors surrounding Lance's readiness to lead head coach Kyle Shanahan's complex offense? Colin Cowherd of FS1's The Herd has a theory (h/t Matt Audilet of The Spun). Maybe it's the 49ers.
No, he isn't suggesting a leak inside the building. At least, not an accidental one. Cowherd wonders if the rumors surrounding Lance were manufactured to drive up Garoppolo's trade value.
"Couldn't I argue [that] Montana, Young, Adam Schefter are all saying this benefits the 49ers?" Cowherd said. "Why? I'm a GM; I call John Lynch, [saying], 'John, we'll take Garoppolo, [give you a] third-round pick.' [Lynch could reply], 'Third-round pick? Have you seen the stories? Trey Lance isn't ready! We're going to keep Garoppolo another year.' By the way, which [is what] Adam Schefter is suggesting—Garoppolo would stay next year.
"The Niners can take all those phone calls and say, 'Hey, we're not BS-ing you here. He's not ready to play. You heard Montana. You heard Steve Young.'"
Cowherd notes all the "They're drafting Mac Jones" stories from a year ago.
"They've manipulated the media," he continued. "A lot of legitimate NFL reporters had Mac Jones-Niners done two months before the draft. ... The benefit here is if the word is out—'Trey's not ready'—it allows the Niners to say, 'Hey, we're not interested.'
"One of these NFL teams is going to say, 'OK, first-round pick and a starting corner.' That's what San Francisco may very well be doing too. If Trey isn't ready, they'll know after OTAs, but it does drive up the price."
Cowherd adds that the situation would be different had Lance played more last season and outplayed Garoppolo. If that had been the case, NFL teams would be less willing to overspend on the veteran quarterback.
"Just the cynical part of me believes there could be a little gamesmanship here," Cowherd admitted. "That's all I'm saying. A little gamesmanship."
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
Derek Carr news adds draft twist that could help 49ers
An early run on quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft would certainly benefit the San Francisco 49ers, who are not expected to target the position in the early rounds (though they could still add a quarterback later—time will tell). However, the latest news out of New... -
FOX Sports continues to push idea that 49ers could trade Brandon Aiyuk
The window for the San Francisco 49ers to trade wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk effectively closed on April 1. That's when a significant bonus was triggered, cementing the team's financial commitment to the player, who signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension last... -
Projection of Early Return of 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk Continues to Gain Traction
The big story of the 2024 pre-season in San Francisco was the long, arduous contract negotiation involving 49ers' star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. By the beginning of the regular season, his contract was done, but the drama continued. Aiyuk was viewed by some 49er fans... -
Kyle Shanahan Sees Tight End Luke Farrell As Prime 49ers Roster Asset
There are certainly other higher-profile roster moves taking place in San Francisco these days, but one of the lesser talked about changes may have a bigger impact on the 49ers' offense this year than some might expect. Three weeks ago, the 49ers signed free-agent tight end...