If a secret was to be kept about the 49ers quarterback situation, head coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo seemed to divulge it after Wednesday’s practice.
With just over two weeks to go before the opening of the regular season in Detroit, Shanahan has not revealed who will start. She was a mother after the second preseason game, but changed her tune only Wednesday.
“I have a good idea,” Shanahan said of who will start against the Lions, “but as you can see with everything, I don’t know our schedule in a couple of days. So I’ve always had a good idea. But there are many days from then on in all positions. “
Normally, this would have added an extra layer of intrigue to the battle between Garoppolo and rookie quarterback Trey Lance. We would analyze the words, the phrasing, and their nonverbal cues to try to decipher who was speaking. But then Garoppolo went to the microphone for his press conference after the practice, where he was asked about Shanahan’s response.
“Damn yes, I have a good idea,” Garoppolo said laughing.
“It’s up to you to decide, yes,” Garoppolo said in a follow-up question. “I have a good idea. I am quite happy with my current situation, everything and the offense in general. Yes, Kyle is the main man. He will make the call.
It sure looks like Garoppolo will start against the Lions. His laughter and big smile through these questions and answers didn’t look like a player who was about to lose his initial job. It’s also worth noting that Shanahan and CEO John Lynch said Garoppolo was upset when he was first briefed on the team’s trade until pick number 3. It’s hard to imagine he would be happy to miss this one. competition at the camp.
Not to mention that Shanahan firmly entered the training camp saying that Garoppolo was the starting quarterback and Lance was the support. He said he had known for a while who the incumbent would be, indicating that his mind has not changed.
While the initial work may be Garoppolo’s, it won’t take all the details. The 49ers seem willing to put the rookie into action. ESPN’s Nick Wagoner had this Wednesday’s practice report:
After Garoppolo took all the initial reps during the first four rotations in team exercises, he and Lance shared the work with the headlines and backups of the final three rotations “move the ball” (more similar sequences to real games in which the offense continues to push when winning a first down).
By unofficial count, Lance took five snapshots with the headlines in those periods and five more with the backups. Perhaps more interesting was that it was the first time in the field that Garoppolo worked with backups. He had eight reps with the first team and four with the second.
When he addressed this change of quarterback, Shanahan invoked the New Orleans Saints quarterback situation of the past two years, where Taysom Hill saw sporadic actions with the start of QB Drew Brees.
“I think I’ll do a little more here in the next two weeks, just so I get used to it and that, so the guys get used to it,” Shanahan said. “Watching New Orleans do it with Drew Brees and Taysom has been a lot of fun over the last three years. I’m sure it took a while to get the flow going. But nothing can be said, “Wow, we’ve done it in practice, so that’s how it will be.” You adjust to that in games and get ready for everything, but you don’t know it until you pass it. That’s why I don’t sit here and pretend I have all the answers why not. Prepare for each situation, work the boys to the best of your ability, and then see what your game plan is and find out what gives you the best chance of winning this game. And try to keep your thoughts on just that. “
There may not be a fixed number of plays for each game for Lance, and his playing time may depend on his performance. It is clear that the rookie will play and will do so behind the starter, Garoppolo.
The announcement has not been made official, but it’s easy to guess who will start in San Francisco and what his plan is this season based on Wednesday’s events.