
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Perhaps Jimmy Garoppolo has always been the most realistic option for the San Francisco 49ers in 2021. There is no doubt that the team examined the possibility of improving the defender’s position when Matthew Stafford became available. The cost became very high, and members of the 49ers’ leadership were unwilling to engage in a bidding war to go from Garoppolo to Stafford.
So, where does that leave the 49ers? Perhaps back to the starting point. Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have publicly expressed confidence in Garoppolo and said they expected him to be the starter in 2021. Of course, that does not mean that you ignore an opportunity when it comes.
San Francisco has overtaken Stafford and will now have to compete against him at least twice a year after the Lions sent him to rival Los Angeles Rams for two future choices in the first round, a third round and quarterback Jared Goff. It is the second consecutive off-season that the 49ers consider an update by Garoppolo.
Matt Miller of the NFL Draft Scout believes there are three realistic options left for the 49ers – none of which are called Deshaun Watson. Let’s face it, he will demand an unprecedented commercial package to keep him from the Houston Texans.
Miller’s first two options are novice defenders.
“With the overall choice in 12th place, Niners can pray that Trey Lance (NDSU) is still on the board, but the most likely option would be Mac Jones, from Alabama,” wrote the project analyst via Instagram.
Miller questions whether coach Kyle Shanahan would be willing to launch a new quarterback on the field immediately, given the time it can take for a young player to feel comfortable with his handbook and layout.
Miller adds: “But the biggest question is whether coach Kyle Shanahan would like to work with a novice quarterback – something he doesn’t have a reputation for.”
Of course, there is also a good chance that the 49ers will recruit a quarterback while holding Garoppolo. This would give the novice the time he needs to learn behind a veteran who already understands the attack. At the moment, the only two 49ers hired quarterbacks are Garoppolo and Josh Johnson. CJ Beathard is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, Nick Mullens a restricted free agent and Josh Rosen a free agent with exclusive rights.
San Francisco can also wait to see how the rest of the NFL quarterback scenario unfolds and whether any other intriguing possibilities present themselves.
More San Francisco 49ers news

PFF names Javon Kinlaw of the 49ers among the 2020 rookies most likely to burst in 2021
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Pro Football Focus analyst Anthony Treash named six 2020 NFL Draft newbies who appear to have seasons in 2021. Among players like quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy is defensive striker Javon Kinlaw of the San Francisco 49ers, No. 14 general choices from a year ago. Kinlaw compiled 33 tackles, three tackles for a loss, four quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks, an interception, touchdown and four passes saved during his rookie campaign. “Kinlaw was unproductive, pure and simple,” wrote Treash. “He lacked consistency in both running defense (note 46.9) and fast pass (note 58.0), leading to a general PFF note

Why 49ers should be comfortable with Jimmy Garoppolo in 2021
By Allan McBride
January 29, 2021
What a difference a year can make in the NFL. This time last year, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was preparing to start Super Bowl LIV. Garoppolo was coming out of a strong 2019 regular season, during which he ranked among the top twelve defenders in many statistical categories. It seemed that the 49ers made the right decision by switching to the former New England Patriot, as he was already living up to the high expectations set by the organization. Just a short year later, the narrative changed for Garoppolo, as he found himself surrounded by rumors and speculation that the 49ers should either exchange him for another quarterback, or simply cut ties with him to free up wage ceiling space and write a quarterback to the future. The primary

PFF names Javon Kinlaw as the potential 49ers player for 2021
By David Bonilla
January 19, 2021
There is always room for improvement. Rookie San Francisco 49ers player Javon Kinlaw showed flashes during his first season in the NFL, and general manager John Lynch recently praised his young defender. “I think Kinlaw will be a dominant force in this league,” Lynch recently told The Athletic as he compared the defender’s debut season to the start of striker Warren Sapp in the Hall of Fame. “I should say, ‘it will become’, because it is not there yet. It showed flashes.” Sam Monson of Pro Football Talk (PFF), recently named breakout

49ers now have the fifth best chance of having Deshaun Watson in the 2021 season
By David Bonilla
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Odds Shark shared the most recent odds of which team would have quarterback Deshaun Watson in his squad at the start of the 2021 season. A few days ago, Bovada gave the San Francisco 49ers the third best chance of breaking up with Watson. The oddsmakers now have four teams – Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets and Chicago Bears – ahead of San Francisco. Below are the 10 teams with the best chances of having Watson as the starter for week 1, according to Bovada. Texans +170 Dolphins +300 Jets +300 Bears