The 49ers seem to be ready to move on from veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Until that happens, however, San Francisco tight end George Kittle seems to be prepared to hedge his bets.
Speaking recently to TMZ.com, Kittle stayed neutral on the question of who the quarterback should, in his estimation, be.
After offering one word -- “yeah” -- on the question of whether Trey Lance is ready to start, Kittle offered a broad, and safe, observation.
“I play tight end,” Kittle said, “and whoever’s throwing me the football, I can’t wait to catch footballs from them, baby.”
So how does Kittle feel about the possibility of the 49ers trading Garoppolo?
“Whatever’s best for the football team, man,” Kittle said. “Whatever Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch decide, it’s gonna be great.”
Does Kittle have a preference? Again, he opted for the ambiguity of diplomacy.
“Anybody wearing the Niners logo,” Kittle said.
Still, Kittle has lingering affection for Garoppolo.
“Love Jimmy G,” Kittle said. “Fantastic quarterback. Took us to two NFC Championships.”
Indeed he did. And if the 49ers hadn’t blown a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead at Los Angeles, the Jimmy G would have had a second Super Bowl appearance -- and maybe a first Super Bowl win.
It’s still not a given that Garoppolo will be gone. It all comes down to whether the powers-that-be believe Lance, in whom the team invested three first-round picks and a third-round selection, is ready. If he’s not, it could be a second year of bench time for the 2021 first-round pick. And a fifth season as full-time starter for Garoppolo.
