5 bold predictions for 49ers, rest of NFC West in 2021

No. 1: Trey Lance leads 49ers to NFC West crown

Perhaps a bit homerish, but this is a 49ers site after all.

The Niners aren’t going to stubbornly let Jimmy Garoppolo keep starting if they feel Lance’s maturation is proceeding ahead of schedule. And if the first prediction rings true where Garoppolo is traded at some point midseason, Lance will have all the context he’ll need to rise up the ranks towards becoming one of the NFL’s top signal-callers.

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Sure, Lance’s relative lack of experience (even at the college level) will lead to growing pains. But the pure upside of his abilities and talents will provide a pure breath of fresh air for Kyle Shanahan, whose offense will finally have an orchestrator beyond someone who can only thrive when all the pieces are working.

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Simply put, Lance is on pace to make things happen when the play has broken down, whereas that was one of Garoppolo’s bigger weaknesses.

It might not be unlike what Shanahan experienced with then-rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III back with Washington in 2012, which helped propel that team into the postseason and helped Griffin earn that year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Now, Lance might not receive that accolade. But with him playing strong, San Francisco’s offense clicks on more cylinders than it has the last three-plus years, leading the 49ers to come away with the NFC West crown in 2021.