49ers Owner Suggests Trey Lance Can Start Right Now
By Peter Dewey
Trey Lance’s stock continues to rise as we go about the NFL offseason, and the rookie most recently was endorsed by San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York.
York explained how he believes both Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo could lead the 49ers to wins this season, but it’s a strong endorsement of the No. 3 overall pick considering many viewed him as a project coming into the 2021 season.
"Obviously, we didn't have the year that we wanted last year, in terms of our record," York said. "But the things that we overcame as an organization, as a team, the injuries that we had, being kicked out of our home and going to Arizona, I think we showed a lot of fortitude. And I feel like we can compete right now whether Jimmy's the quarterback, whether Trey's the quarterback, whoever it is. And if Jimmy gives us the best chance to win, then Jimmy's going to be our quarterback."
Lance, who is currently third on WynnBET’s Offensive Rookie of the Year odds at +700, may be ready to take over in San Francisco sooner than expected.
York and the rest of the 49ers organization can say they love Garoppolo as much as they want, but actions speak louder than words. The 49ers knew they had to make an upgrade at the quarterback position, and they moved all the way up to No. 3, trading multiple first-round picks in the process, to make sure they got Lance.
The rookie is going to start sooner rather than later, and if there already isn’t a discernable gap between Lance and Garoppolo, what would stop the 49ers from playing the future quarterback now?
I’ve said that Garoppolo is in a horrible situation in San Francisco, and with each passing day it seems that the 49ers fall more in love with Lance. It’s a tough life for Garoppolo after making the Super Bowl in 2019, but the best ability is availability, and the veteran has been injured far too often for the 49ers to commit to him long term.
If you believe that Lance may get a chance to start early on in 2021, +700 is a pretty good bet for the do-it-all quarterback to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.