Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images
San Francisco 49ers tight end George
Kittle said he believes 2021 third overall pick Trey Lance will be
ready to take over as the team’s starting quarterback if called upon
in 2022.
Kittle told TMZ Sports in an interview
released Sunday his confidence in Lance doesn’t take away from his
respect for Jimmy Garoppolo, who’s been the focus of trade rumors
entering the offseason.
“Love Jimmy G. Fantastic
quarterback. Took us to two NFC championships,” Kittle said.
The three-time Pro Bowl selection added
he’ll be ready to roll regardless of who’s under center for the Niners to open next
season.
“I play tight end, and whoever’s
throwing me the football, I can’t wait to catch footballs from them, baby,” Kittle told TMZ.
San Francisco finds itself in a tricky
situation as it decides how to handle the NFL’s most important
position in 2022.
Garoppolo has compiled a strong 31-14
record in 45 regular-season starts across five years with the 49ers.
He guided the team to an appearance in Super Bowl LIV at the end of
the 2019 campaign, and the team reached this year’s NFC Championship
Game before falling short against the eventual Super Bowl champion
Los Angeles Rams.
Yet, the front office also invested a
top-five pick in Lance, who flashed impressive dual-threat playmaking
ability across six appearances as a rookie. He’s the franchise’s
quarterback of the future, but the team must decide whether to begin
that transition in the coming months or wait another year.
Garoppolo’s trade value is also a
factor. This offseason’s free-agent market and draft class aren’t loaded with high-end quarterback talent, which likely makes someone
with his track record more valuable for contenders with a void at the
position.
Add in his contract situation—he has one season left on a five-year, $137.5 million contract—and
now is the time to maximize the potential trade return without risking
him entering free agency next offseason.
If the Niners decide the result of those
numerous variables is the start of the Lance era, Kittle thinks the
21-year-old North Dakota State product will be up to the challenge.
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