49ers training camp: 4 starting positions up for grabs

49ers Position No. 1: Quarterback

Ah, yes. Will it be Jimmy Garoppolo or the rookie, Trey Lance, who starts for the 49ers in Week 1?

There are arguments both ways. For Garoppolo, he has the experience, and the Niners would preferably like to maximize any trade value he has by putting him out on the field and letting him have a career-type year in 2021. As far as Lance is concerned, San Francisco didn’t aggressively trade up to No. 3 overall in this year’s draft simply to let him ride the bench even after he’d be perceived as ready to go.

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The safe bet is probably leaning in Garoppolo’s favor.

But some believe Lance could end up stealing the starting job right out of training camp, including NFL Network’s Gregg Rosenthal, who told The Rich Eisen Show (h/t 49ers Webzone) the following:

"They spent this offseason evaluating and teaching. You know how it is. It’s go time once you’re about three or four days into camp. And if [Lance] is as good as they think he is, I think he’ll be starting as soon as Week 1 if he is a little more accurate than he was in college."

The 49ers don’t have to rush Lance into the starting fray, necessarily. But the fact a discussion about him potentially getting the gig immediately is on the table suggests Lance might be further along than many people initially considered.

Lance could steal the job, which would paint an awfully uncertain future for Jimmy G.