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Heading into training camp, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said he expected Jimmy Garoppolo to enter the season as a starting quarterback, reiterating the plan that the club has developed since writing Trey Lance in April.
Following Sunday’s 15-10 preseason win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Shanahan was asked if he was ready to formalize him and name Jimmy G as a starter.
“No, I’m not making that announcement. Nice try, though.” Shanahan said with a smirk.
Shanahan noted that he was in no rush to “name” a starting quarterback, but promised it would happen before the season opener on September 12 against the Detroit Lions.
“Whenever I feel like it,” he said of when he planned to make the announcement, according to the Bay Area News Group. “(When?) It’s hard for me to give a date. It’s based on when we know and when we want to name it. I promise it will be that Sunday.”
Garoppolo started on Sunday and led a 15-game drive that ended in an interception on a high pass from QB that Brandon Aiyuk was unable to block despite a jump effort. Garoppolo finished 3 of 6 on the drive for 15 yards and INT, with a long 9-yard connection.
Shanahan was asked after the game if anything had changed since training camp started.
“No, I haven’t seen that. I wish it was more and more every week, but the situation is quite similar right now,” he said.
With that, the assumption remains the same as it did throughout the offseason for the Niners: Jimmy G is the alleged starter with Lance nibbling on his heels.
For his part, Garoppolo isn’t worried that Shanahan just doesn’t name the veteran starting with a preseason game to play.
“Kyle always challenges us,” said Jimmy G. “He knows us and knows how to push guys in certain ways. I’m not too worried about that. I’m trying to get out now to prepare for the Raiders. “We’ve had a productive week against the Chargers, we’ve got a lot of good work. There are so many other things to worry about.”
Lance came on early in the second quarter and got off to a rough start. The rookie has completed just one of his first six passes (9 yards) with an interception and sack during that span. It took Lance in his fourth series to get into any pace and shift the offense. Part of the difficulty in Overall Pick 3 came from a fastball that its targets struggled to hold onto. In two preseason games, Lance receivers lost seven assists.
After the stumbling start, the rookie took off and watched every bit of the dynamic playmaker the Niners traded in the draft. Lance completed 7 of his last 8 passes, finished with a total of 102 passing yards, two touchdowns and the INT.
Shanahan was delighted that the recruit had recovered.
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