While Jimmy Garoppolo was the 49ers’ starting quarterback last season, he also served as a friend and role model for Trey Lance during his rookie season.
The dynamic has been a lot different this summer.
Lance, 22, was anointed as the 49ers’ starting quarterback in the offseason. Garoppolo does not figure to remain with the 49ers beyond next week. He is still under contract to the 49ers, who have tried for months to trade him.
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Garoppolo’s trade value plummeted to zero when he underwent shoulder surgery in March.
Since the opening of training camp, Garoppolo showed up daily at the 49ers’ practice facility to go through a throwing program to rebuild his arm strength.
Lance said he has not seen Garoppolo as much this summer. He said he still benefits from a strong quarterback room with support from Nate Sudfeld and rookie Brock Purdy, the other quarterbacks on the team.
“We talk kind of just in passing,” Lance said of Garoppolo. “He is not really around for practice or meetings or anything like that.
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"But Nate Sudfeld and Brock have been that for me for sure this year. They have done a great job. Again, just having two guys that I know got my back.”
The 49ers will realize an immediate salary-cap savings of $25.5 million if they trade or release Garoppolo before the start of the regular season. Teams must make roster moves by Tuesday at 1 p.m. to arrive at the regular-season limit of 53 players.
It is still an unknown where Garoppolo will be when the season begins. But it is a good bet the 49ers’ quarterback room will remain the same.
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Sudfeld and Purdy figure to stick around — either on the active roster or practice squad. Both Sudfeld and Purdy had solid training camps and appear to mesh well with Lance.
“(I have) all the confidence in the world in those guys,” Lance said. “The way they come to work every single day, they're locked in. There is going to be up and downs for all of us, but, man, us being a tight group helps a lot.”