News Flash: The 49ers Won Despite “Jimmy G,” Not Because of Him
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I’m not a 49ers fan by any means, I’m speaking objectively here. Before I continue, this will be the PC version of my take on this talk about San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks Trey Lance, their current starter, and Jimmy Garoppolo. I will be more uncut and unfiltered on my own page when I focus more on the criticism Trey Lance is getting after only one game, and not just one game, but it was Week One of the regular season. I think it’s unfair and ridiculous, to say the least, but I will discuss it briefly here because it ties into the subject of this post.
Last week didn’t bode well for Trey Lance and the 49ers, losing to the Chicago Bears 19–10. What ensued afterwards didn’t even come from fans for the most part, it came from people who are notable around the league. These critics of Trey Lance, after his first game as a full-time starter, mind you, came for this dude with pitchforks and torches, so to speak.
A couple days ago, former head coach Sean Payton immediately predicted that the 49ers will put Jimmy Garoppolo back in the lineup, which I don’t think will happen unless Trey screws up that badly. I read this morning where former NFL player K.J. Wright commented that he was never a fan of the move of them starting Lance over Jimmy G — I’m paraphrasing — saying that Jimmy guided them to the Super Bowl, and they were a game away from the Super Bowl last season with him, wondering what more do they want the man to do.
Now, Garoppolo played a lot better the year they went to the Super Bowl, but after that season, I have to ask these Garoppolo fans, what Jimmy Garoppolo games have you been watching? After that 2020 season, the 49ers won mostly despite Garoppolo, not because of him. Their success, particularly last season, was based mostly on a strong running game and defense. Jimmy did just enough.
People are acting as if his play was top-of-the-line or he put up Justin Herbert type numbers the past few seasons. If that were the case, I would have to wonder myself why are they trying to (eventually) move on from him and go with Lance, aside from the fact that they spent a 3rd overall pick on Lance, so he wasn’t going to sit there for long.
From what I saw of Garoppolo last season, I saw more bad than good. He wasn’t the same player from 2020, and at times, he played more like a rookie than a veteran. The running game and their defense is what mostly carried that team, but this is the man that some people want back in so badly. As I mentioned earlier, unless Trey’s play is just that erratic, that’s not going to happen. As far as these (apparently) Jimmy G fans who are pushing so hard to get him back in the lineup, there’s a saying that goes, “Be careful what you ask/wish for.”
Update: To read my Trey Lance analysis of the situation, click here.
