Kyle Shanahan must have been bored yesterday, because he set the 49ers’ Twitter on fire with his comments on Jimmy Garoppolo’s future in San Francisco. Instantly, everyone went to their respective corners to explain how what Kyle said perfectly justified his favorite quarterback career this off-season. Lost in confusion may have been a key issue that Niner Nate and Leo Luna addressed in this week’s Niner Nation-podcast with the special guest Vish Kumaran: Does Kyle Shanahan even know if this year’s incoming defenders are already worth a choice in the first round of the draft?
“Kyle Shanahan is focused on this football season and trying to win with CJ Beathard and Nick Mullens,” said Kumaran, “no decision has been made about Jimmy Garoppolo, positive or negative.”
Luna then added: “Shanahan has no idea about Zach Wilson and his assessment of him. He spent zero time evaluating Zach Wilson. He wasted no time evaluating Trey Lance … so, to say he’ll move on and move on with Jimmy now, there’s no reason for him to say that. “
(Listen to the full conversation on today’s Niner Nation-Podcast, embedded in the player below)
This is a very fair point. Kyle Shanahan’s opinion is more important than anyone else in the entire organization besides Jed York, and there is no way he could have spent enough time watching the Wilson, Lance, etc. tape. to know for sure if he wants one of those guys in April.
While time is passing for this decision because of how Jimmy Garoppolo’s contract is structured, we have a long, long way to go before we know something definitive about who will be at the center in 2021.