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Yes, John Lynch, 49ers’ GM, recently said he has no doubt Jimmy Garoppolo will be the team’s starting quarterback in 2021. Yes, there is good reason to doubt whether this will really and ultimately be the case.
Lynch honestly said what he had to say. That was no different than what the Eagles’ GM Howie Roseman said on January 4 about quarterback Carson Wentz, weeks before the Eagles agreed to trade him for the Colts.
“As for Carson, I think it’s no secret that we moved for him because we thought of him as a person, as a player,” Roseman said at the time. “We gave him the same extension. And if you have such players, it’s like fingers on your hand. You can not even imagine that they are not part of you, that they are not here. This is how I feel about Carson. ”
Roseman did not tell the unadorned truth at the time, as it would have made it even harder to get the third round and the conditional second round for Wentz that the Eagles will finally get when the deal becomes official on March 17th. Similarly, Lynch could not and did not want to say that nothing but Garoppolo is the man for 2021 before the 49ers have an upgrade to Garoppolo in the rankings.
The 49ers are certainly looking for a better option. With a minimal conclusion ($ 2.4 million) and a significant amount to keep Garoppolo in 2021 ($ 25 million), there is every reason to look for someone who could be better in the job.
Garoppolo’s biggest mistake (apart from the result of intercepted passes he gave in the Vikings’ win in the playoffs in 2019, which prompted coach Kyle Shanahan to make Jimmy G. a contemporary Bob Griese until the Super Bowl berth is assured), is his inability to stay. healthy. As far as quarterbacks are concerned, this is a big deal. Indeed, with the rules being oblique to quarterback protection, it should be much easier, not harder, for quarterbacks to be able and available to play.
There is therefore doubt whether Garoppolo will be the starter in 2021. If that’s not the case, Lynch is not doing his job to the best of his ability. Lynch also does not do his job to the best of his ability when at this stage he says anything other than that there is no doubt that the starter will be Garoppolo.
And if a better full-back is available for the 49ers and the 49ers acquire him, you should not be surprised if Garoppolo is cut. Who else will pay him $ 25 million for 2021? (The answer to the question underscores the urgency of finding a better option unless the 49ers can push Garoppolo to take less.)
If / when that happens, do not expect many in the media to shout at Lynch to say, “But you said there is no doubt that Garoppolo will be the man.” If anyone does, the answer is simple: circumstances have changed.
The 49ers hope we will do the same.