Could Trey Lance beat out Jimmy Garoppolo as 49ers starter?

The 49ers have been trying to dismiss the idea of a quarterback competition, but could Trey Lance start Week 1?

Despite trading up to No. 3 in April’s draft clearly with a quarterback in mind, and taking Trey Lance, the San Francisco 49ers kept Jimmy Garoppolo and have been consistent to profess he is their starting quarterback. As the preseason opener looms, that still feels like the most likely scenario for the start of the season.

Either by injury (given his history) or low-wattage performance, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before Garoppolo gives way to Lance this season. If not for basically not playing football for North Dakota State last season, Lance might be making a greater push to start. But…

John Lynch seems to open the door for Trey Lance to start

During an appearance on the “Murph and Mac” show, 49ers general manager John Lynch confirmed Garoppolo is the starter while acknowledging the decision isn’t his as Week 1 gets closer.

“That’s up to Kyle (Shanahan). That’s up to our head coach,”  “He makes the decisions on who’s playing and what not. But I think it’s Jimmy’s right now and Trey’s pushing. I think that’s where it’s at.”

Quite simply, the 49ers would not have taken Lance No. 3 overall unless head coach Kyle Shanahan thought very highly of him. The trade up allowed Shanahan to hand-pick who would replace Garoppolo without a pesky impediment like picking outside the top-10, and he chose Lance over Justin Fields, Mac Jones, etc.

Garoppolo will start the preseason opener against the Chiefs on Saturday, with Lance in line to finish the first half. The second preseason game may be a little more telling, in terms of how much time each quarterback sees with the first-team offense.

Going with Lance as their starter right away is something the 49ers have to entertain if he shows he’s worthy. It’s also a slippery slope, “no going back” decision, which Shanahan and Lynch are definitely keenly aware of.