Trey Lance: 4 reasons why 49ers rookie QB starts in 2021

No. 1: 49ers get a trade market for Jimmy Garoppolo

It’s silly to think San Francisco would want anything but to trade Jimmy Garoppolo at a point where his value is at its peak.

Before this year’s NFL Draft, one could argue Garoppolo had a halfway decent market despite him coming off yet another injury-plagued year. But the majority of suitors, including teams like the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots, made notable draft moves to land heir-apparent quarterbacks for the future anyway: Justin Fields to Chicago and Mac Jones to the Pats.

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Yet any football fan can attest to the ever-present changes on the quarterbacking landscape. Remember back in 2016 when a playoff-hopeful Minnesota Vikings squad sent off a first-round draft pick in a package to the Philadelphia Eagles for quarterback Sam Bradford after the Vikings lost their starter, Teddy Bridgewater, to a serious injury?

Even if the 2021 quarterback carousel has come to a considerable slowing, there’s always the strong chance another team will either be highly interested or even desperate for a player like Garoppolo between now and the NFL trade deadline, currently predicted to be Nov. 2.

If this winds up being the case, the 49ers may see the long-term benefits of moving as much of Garoppolo’s $26.4 million cap hit this season while recouping something in terms of draft capital.

This could mean Lance gets pushed into the starting fray a bit earlier than anticipated, yet the long-term ramifications could end up being worthwhile anyway.