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After months of offseason speculation and misdirection, the San Francisco 49ers invested the No. 3 overall pick in North Dakota State signal-caller Trey Lance. That selection, coming roughly 15 months after the team appeared in Super Bowl LIV, put Lance firmly in the spotlight while his embattled predecessor, Jimmy Garoppolo, has to fend off daily questions about his future in San Francisco.
Latest camp news
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has maintained that Lance will have a “tough” time winning the job, but each practice seems to bring another batch of Lance highlight throws and plays while Garoppolo has mostly remained status quo. That doesn’t mean Lance has forced the 49ers to reconsider their development plan just yet, but the rookie doesn’t seem as raw as many believed coming out of college.
Current DraftKings Sportsbook odds
Trey Lance to take the 49ers’ first snap in 2021 regular season: Yes (+300), No (-400)
Next preseason game: vs/at TEAM
In a rematch of Super Bowl LIV, the 49ers will see how Lance holds up against the team that, in essence, ended any lingering perception of Garoppolo as an ascending player. Lance should see extensive time against the Chiefs while Garoppolo will probably play little or not at all. That speaks to the respective places the two quarterbacks occupy in the eyes of the coaching staff, but it also serves as the first major opportunity for Lance to make the organization truly consider him as a Week 1 starter.
Pre-Week 1 preseason prediction
The 49ers could have dealt Garoppolo for a decent asset or two months ago but instead chose to keep him around for the 2021 season. Barring a godfather offer from a desperate team, he will stay in San Francisco and start the season under center. Lance has already created some uncertainty regarding that possibility, but Shanahan hasn’t relented on his belief that Garoppolo offers the best chance to win right now. That will probably change at some point in 2021, however.
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