The 49ers have Super Bowl aspirations for the upcoming season.
Can they get there with a rookie quarterback?
“I’m a realistic guy, and I know the numbers,” 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk said this week on the “Ross Tucker Football Podcast.”
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The numbers are that no rookie quarterback ever led his team to a Super Bowl -- let alone a Super Bowl victory.
Historically, the teams of rookie quarterbacks that have made it to the playoffs have struggled.
Only two first-year starters have won Super Bowls: Tom Brady, in his second NFL season; and Kurt Warner, who bounced around until he became a starter with the St. Louis Rams at 28.
Brady and Warner got their opportunities when the veteran starters ahead of them sustained injuries.
San Francisco 49ers
Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo is scheduled to take snaps with the 49ers’ first-team offense when training camp opens next week in Santa Clara.
It remains to be seen if rookie Trey Lance, the No. 3 overall draft pick, can make a push for the starting job.
Juszczyk, an eight-year NFL veteran and five-time Pro Bowl selection, said he believes Garoppolo can get the job done.
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He also thinks there is a spot for Lance’s dual-threat abilities in coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
“My thought is that, as long as Jimmy is healthy, I think he’s our guy,” Juszczyk said. “And I think that doesn’t mean that there’s not a place for Trey to contribute in Year 1.
“So my thought process is, if Trey’s out there, there’s something that he’s doing right during the week that Kyle sees, whatever he’s doing is going to help us win.”
If Lance takes over as the starter, the most likely scenarios are that Garoppolo is struggling or he exits due to an injury. But Juszczyk can see a scenario in which Lance is doing all the things necessary to earn an opportunity to have a role.
“My thought and my hope is that Jimmy is balling but so is Trey during practice, and we can find ways to implement him into the offense and help us win games,” Juszczyk said.