Even though the 49ers officially named Trey Lance their starting quarterback this offseason, discussions of whether or not Jimmy Garoppolo is a better fit to lead the team have yet to subside.
Jerry Rice, however, has made it known he believes Lance is “ready to go” under center, and on Monday, he shared with 95.7 The Game’s “The Morning Roast” why he believes San Francisco made the right decision.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer pointed to the 49ers’ failure so far to trade Garoppolo as a key indicator.
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“I don’t think there’s any big suitors right now coming after Jimmy G,” Rice told “The Morning Roast” hosts Bonta Hill and Joe Shasky. “You would think that with what he has done, that you would have teams coming after him.
“So I’m thinking that the Niners made the right decision. It’s time to move on.”
While coach Kyle Shanahan recently said “any scenario is possible” when it comes to Garoppolo potentially remaining on the team’s roster, Rice believes that would be detrimental to Lance.
“No, it wouldn’t be a bad thing,” Rice said of a hypothetical where Garoppolo remains on the 49ers as Lance’s backup.
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“But I think with Trey, it’s his time. He doesn’t want to be looking over his shoulder … [Lance] is going to have some adversity, and it’s going to be some ups and downs. If you’ve got a quarterback on as a backup like Jimmy G, maybe he feels like that’s really pressure.”
RELATED: How Rice knew 'raw' Lance would be 49ers' pick before 2021 draft
The 49ers Faithful might have a clearer picture of where the Garoppolo conundrum stands come 1 p.m. PT Tuesday, when the roster must be trimmed down to 53 players.
Until then, they can rest assured knowing the GOAT believes the team is in good hands.