As we enter the NFL offseason, many wonder if the 49ers will choose to make a change at quarterback and move on from Jimmy Garoppolo. But Kendrick Bourne isn't one of those people.
Bourne, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins March 17, said Thursday on his Twitch stream that Garoppolo will return as the 49ers' QB in 2021 and he believes the signal-caller will "ball."
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After leading the 49ers to a 13-3 record and Super Bowl berth in 2019, Garoppolo played in only six games last season as he battled two different high ankle sprains.
The 49ers have a roster that is close to Super Bowl ready, but major issues center around Garoppolo and whether or not Garoppolo has what it takes to lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl title.
General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted they looked into Tom Brady last offseason, but ultimately elected to pass on the 43-year-old. Brady went on to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and led Tampa to a Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs using a perfected version of the game plan the 49ers used in Super Bowl LIV.
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San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers were thought to be a potential trade partner for Matthew Stafford, but the Los Angeles Rams went all-in to maximize their title window, sending three draft picks and Jared Goff to the Detroit Lions for the quarterback Sean McVay wanted to run his offense.
Deshaun Watson reportedly has formally requested a trade, but the Houston Texans have not yet engaged teams in trade talks. The cost to get Watson will be steep, but securing a generational talent will be well worth the price.
The 49ers, who own the No. 12 overall pick, could look to draft a quarterback like Alabama's Mac Jones, cut or trade Garoppolo in order to open up some cap space and choose to build around a quarterback on a rookie deal.
While there are many paths in front of the 49ers, the most likely one will see them restructure Garoppolo's contract and bring him back as the starter in 2021, choosing to give him the keys to the car one more time.
Will Garoppolo make Bourne look like Nostradamus and "ball" in 2021? That, like everything else for the 49ers, remains to be seen.