4 glaring takeaways from 49ers first training-camp press conference

John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan met with the media on Day 1 of 49ers training camp, and there are some pretty important nuggets to look at.

For weeks now, fans and analysts have spent considerable effort speculating what the San Francisco 49ers were planning to do in a number of different areas.

Are things progressing with All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel and his contract-extension talks? And what about the quarterbacking situation between Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance? Are the Niners actually aiming at keeping Jimmy G this season, either in direct competition with Lance or as a high-priced backup?

What about some of the other pressing items on San Francisco’s agenda?

While words are just that, words, head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch hope to have addressed those issues and more when they spoke to the media on the opening day of training camp on Tuesday.

Not surprisingly, the talk of Lance and Garoppolo headlined the bulk of the discussion.

49ers presser takeaway No. 1: Kyle Shanahan appreciates Jimmy Garoppolo, but it’s time for Trey Lance

The 49ers’ inability to trade Jimmy G during the offseason likely stemmed from the quarterback’s shoulder surgery after the team was eliminated during the NFC Championship game, and that’s what Shanahan suggested during the presser.

However, any speculation this would lead to a scenario in which Garoppolo might play alongside or even over Lance was quickly put to rest by the head coach:

"I think Jimmy and we knew what move we made the year before on that. Jimmy did a hell of a job coming to camp and winning that job and taking us real close to the Super Bowl. But we have moved on to Trey."

Shanahan also noted how this decision was directly in the light of the Niners aggressively trading up for Lance a year ago, moving up to No. 3 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft to get him, which essentially put a clock on Garoppolo’s time with San Francisco.

With Lance cemented as the starter from this point onward, Shanahan and Lynch also pointed out they’re looking to find a resolution for Garoppolo’s own future that’ll ultimately benefit all parties involved.