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Yes, 49ers GM John Lynch said recently that he has no doubt Jimmy Garoppolo will be the team’s 2021 starting quarterback. Yes, there is good reason to doubt that this will actually and ultimately be the case.
Lynch honestly said what he had to say. It was no different from the things Eagles GM Howie Roseman said about quarterback Carson Wentz on Jan. 4, weeks before the Eagles agreed to trade him in for the Colts.
“As for Carson, I don’t think it’s a secret that we stood up for him because of what we thought about him as a person, as a player,” Roseman said at the time. “We gave him that extension because of the same things. And so, when you have such players, they are like fingers on your hand. You cannot even imagine that they are not part of you, that they are not there. That’s how I feel about Carson. “
Roseman did not tell the plain truth at the time, as this would have made it even more difficult to get the third round pick and conditional second round pick for Wentz that the Eagles will eventually receive when the deal goes official on March 17. Likewise, Lynch couldn’t say anything but that Garoppolo is the man for 2021 before the 49ers have an upgrade to Garoppolo on the roster.
Sure, the 49ers are looking for a better option. With a minimal cap consequence ($ 2.4 million) and a significant cash and cap levy for keeping Garoppolo in 2021 ($ 25 million), there is every reason to look for someone who could be better in the position .
Garoppolo’s biggest mistake (aside from the burst of interceptable passes he threw in the 2019 playoff win over the Vikings that prompted coach Kyle Shanahan to turn Jimmy G. into a modern Bob Griese until the Super Bowl berth was secured) is his inability to stay healthy. When quarterbacks go, that’s a big deal. Indeed, with the rules aimed at protecting quarterbacks, it should be much easier, and not harder, for quarterbacks to remain able and available to play.
So yes, there remains doubt whether Garoppolo will be the starter in 2021. If not, Lynch is not doing its job the best it can. Lynch is also not doing his job as well as he can if he says anything at this point other than that there is no doubt that Garoppolo will be the starter.
And if a better quarterback becomes available for the 49ers and the 49ers get it, don’t be surprised if Garoppolo gets cut. Who else would pay him $ 25 million for 2021? (The answer to that question underscores the urgency of finding a better option unless the 49ers can squeeze Garoppolo into taking less.)
If / when that happens, don’t expect many in the media to shout Lynch for saying, “But you said there’s no question Garoppolo will be the man.” If someone does, the answer is simple: circumstances have changed.
The 49ers, in our opinion, are quietly hoping they will.