49ers roster: Grading each position after first 4 weeks of 2021

49ers Quarterbacks: D

It’s easy, perhaps even trendy to pile on Jimmy Garoppolo for all the struggles the 49ers are having so far, particularly their offense.

True, Garoppolo isn’t exactly playing well on a consistent basis. But the ironic part is he still owns a 66.1 completion percentage with a 5-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a passer rating of 96.9, which are all right in line with his career averages.

What should that tell you? Garoppolo is essentially the same quarterback he’s always been. Not much has changed, and it probably won’t. Even the injury factor with him coming out at halftime with a calf injury, giving way to Trey Lance’s first extended appearance of his career.

Lance, meanwhile, is responsible for four touchdowns, three passing and one rushing, despite playing only 46 offensive snaps so far, 17 percent of the total.

Exciting, yes. But Lance’s two quarters of play in Week 4 also revealed his inexperience, and one can fairly blame Kyle Shanahan for how he’s handled the high-profile rookie in terms of development and not quite treating the battle between Lance and Garoppolo as a true competition, which it certainly should be.

If anything, that’s where the D-grade comes in. Garoppolo, injury aside, has been OK. Lance has been promising if not entirely pro-ready.

The back-and-forth juggling has created more trickle-down problems than many could have predicted.

Maybe all that gets resolved in Quarter 2 of the season.