After spending this past season learning behind Jimmy Garoppolo, Trey Lance is expected to get the keys to the 49ers' offense next season.
Lance, 21, started two games during his rookie season and showed impressive growth between the first (Week 5) and second (Week 17). Tight end George Kittle believes Lance has all the tools to succeed as a starting quarterback in the NFL but knows the young signal-caller must improve on certain aspects to maximize the potential of the 49ers' potent offense.
"He just has to learn our offense," Kittle told Colin Cowherd on "The Herd" on Thursday. "And he has to learn how to make the right reads to get the ball out quick because that's what Jimmy's very good at, is getting the ball out quick. I'm looking forward to Trey's progress.
"What I love about Trey is you can tell he loves the game of football. You can tell he wants to get better. He's not cocky by any means. He is confident. But he's got a lot of the great attributes that I think make him a really good football player."
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Garoppolo got the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game while playing with a torn ligament in his right thumb and a sprained right shoulder. The 49ers likely will give Garoppolo and his representation permission to seek a trade this offseason as the 30-year-old looks to find a team that will give him a contract extension. Garoppolo has one year left on the five-year deal he signed with the 49ers in March of 2018.
Kittle, like many of his 49ers teammates, defended Garoppolo fiercely against the immense amount of criticism the veteran quarterback faced this season.
To Kittle, there is one clear difference between Garoppolo and Lance as quarterbacks.
"I would say the big difference is Trey's got a little more zing on [his passes]," Kittle said. "He definitely has a big arm. He can make throws all over the field, which is really cool to see. Jimmy can, too; they just do it differently. Trey moves around a lot better. He's kind of a freak athlete. I'm excited to see Trey's improvement, really."
San Francisco 49ers
RELATED: Lance 'without a doubt' ready to start for 49ers in Week 1
Lance says he'll be ready to take over as the starter in the fall if that's what the 49ers decide. His teammates see the superstar potential that caused head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch to trade up to select Lance in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Despite all that, 49ers legend Joe Montana told The Ringer's Kevin Clark that he believes the 49ers should bring Garoppolo back because he has heard Lance isn't ready.
"I think you keep Jimmy until you find somebody else," Montana told Clark at Super Bowl Radio Row in Los Angeles this week. "I don't think Trey's ready to play yet myself, and after talking to some of the players. It's one of those things that, if you can keep Jimmy healthy, he plays well enough to get you here [to the Super Bowl]."
Shanahan and Lynch said there is a scenario that sees Garoppolo return to the 49ers next season. But Garoppolo seemed resigned that his tenure in the Bay was over during his exit interview with Bay Area media.
“(I) got a long career ahead of me,” Garoppolo said. “I’m excited about it. I’m excited about the opportunities to come. I just want to go to a place where they want to win. That’s what I’m in this game for. I’m here to play football. I’m here to win football games.
“As long as I got that and good people around me, I think the rest will take care of itself.”
Garoppolo won a lot of games during his time with the 49ers. He was 10 minutes away from winning a Super Bowl in Miami, and the 49ers were a handful of plays from returning to the Super Bowl this season.
The 30-year-old left the 49ers in a better place than when he found them, which he said is his goal no matter where he plays.
Now, it's time for Lance to take the baton from Garoppolo and see if he can take the 49ers to the next level.