The most likely scenario is that the San Francisco 49ers enter the 2021 season with Jimmy Garoppolo at the center. John Lynch, general manager, recently committed himself to it as the current plan, but this has thwarted the turbulent speculation that the team is still looking for an upgrade.

NBC Sports’ Chris Simms has expressed concern over the availability of Garoppolo. The full-back has missed 23 games over the past three seasons due to injuries. But if he’s there, the 49ers are successful. The obvious case is the 2019 campaign during which Garoppolo started all 16 games for the first time in his NFL career, helping the 49ers lead to a 13-3 record, the NFC West crown and a Super Bowl look.

According to Simms, San Francisco could improve the quarterback’s position. With someone else, it would just get another analyst with an opinion. Simms, however, is a good friend of Kyle Shanahan and can understand the thinking of the 49ers head coach better than most. Simms does admit that Shanahan is often reluctant to share any football-related insider information with him because of his position in the media.

What options does Simms have for Shanahan and the 49ers to improve on quarterbacks? He shared three scenarios via Twitter (c / o to Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated). By the way, no one involved Deshaun Watson.

The first seems to be a more cautious option. This probably assumes that San Francisco sees Garoppolo as a potential long-term solution. Of course, the 49ers let their investigation into other quarterfinals during the season, whether that is the case.

Lynch recently said the team should have a better backup plan in case Garoppolo misses time again. The 49ers successfully tried to push through the season last year with Nick Mullens and CJ Beathard, who were largely ineffective substitutes. Adding a better backup might be ideal.

Option two will not necessarily lead to the immediate departure of Garoppolo. San Francisco can make a quarterback and allow him to sit out a season and learn behind the veteran, who already thoroughly understands the offense. The real question is whether Shanahan sees any of the prospects as a suitable long-term replacement for Garoppolo. If so, which one does he like the most?

Simms has said in the past that he feels Zach Wilson, who is expected to be selected as high as No. 2, and Mac Jones will be a good fit in the 49ers attack.

Option three is perhaps the more controversial proposal. While Sam Darnold does possess physical qualities that go beyond Garoppolo’s, there is some debate surrounding his ceiling. Was Darnold limited by talent-deprived rosters in New York, or is his fickle game one might expect even with a more talented roster?

Darnold is still only 23 years old and his salary offers significant savings compared to that of Garoppolo. However, is he a better long-term solution? Exchanging Garoppolo for Darnold would be a gamble.

The good news is that if Shanahan wants Darnold, and the quarterbacks move on from the quarterbacks, the head coach has a friend in New York – former 49ers defense coordinator Robert Saleh, who is now the Jets head coach. Of course, that does not mean that San Francisco can get Darnold at a profit rate. However, it can facilitate the process.

The 49ers’ quarterback options will still be a storyline until all the off-season dominoes fall.