49ers: Kyle Shanahan will win 2021 Coach of The Year if these 3 things happen
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: Kyle Shanahan should start Trey Lance, help him thrive
In a way, the 49ers are in about as good a position they could be with Trey Lance.
Most teams taking a quarterback in the top five of a draft class have poor rosters, a first-year head coach amid a rebuild or both.
That’s not the Niners’ category with Lance. And with Jimmy Garoppolo still around, Kyle Shanahan doesn’t have to force Lance into a starting role right out of the gate. San Francisco can take the conservative approach, knowing Jimmy G has produced a conference championship-winning season.
But that’s not bold.
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If Shanahan wants to get a Coach of the Year nod, Lance will have to be the starter. And those who may recall what Shanahan helped do with then-rookie Washington Football Team quarterback Robert Griffin III back in 2012 when Griffin reached Offensive Rookie of the Year status, doing so again with a player like Lance would only help to solidify Shanahan’s contention for his own accolade this year.
Especially if Lance is a primary reason why San Francisco checks off the following box on Shanahan’s to-do list.