Jimmy Garoppolo Discusses ‘Weird Situation’ in 49ers Trading Trey Lance to Cowboys

The NFL world was dealt two plot twists from the 49ers as their preseason wound down. The first was the decision by coach Kyle Shanahan to name Sam Darnold, not Trey Lance, the backup quarterback to Brock Purdy. Then came the second surprise, as Lance was traded to the Cowboys for a 2024 fourth-round pick.

Lance, the former No. 3 pick in the 2022 NFL draft, is less than one full year removed from being named San Francisco’s starter—a decision which left Jimmy Garoppolo holding a clipboard.

Now, Lance is a distant No. 3 in Dallas while Garoppolo is off to a fresh start of his own as the starting quarterback for the Raiders. And following the surprising trade that sent Lance to the Cowboys, Garoppolo spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Robin Lundberg, addressing the situation between 49ers and the former first-round pick.

“Weird situation,” Garoppolo told SI. “Been a lot of weird situations over there in San Francisco. I’ll just leave it at that. But I’m happy Trey got another shot. I’m happy he’s getting to Dallas, gets another opportunity and hopefully things work out there.”

Garoppolo proceeded to discuss the NFL on a broader note, while also praising Lance and calling him “a brother.”

“This is a weird league. Everyone has a different story how they get to places, myself included in that. It’s never a straight line. There’s always going to be bumps in the road and some things you have to overcome and I think Trey is made of the right stuff, he’s a good dude. I love that guy. He’s a brother to me so I’m always pulling for him.”

Both Garoppolo and Lance are set for fresh starts, but fans will have a much more clear answer on how Garoppolo’s future looks once the new season gets underway. The Raiders open their season at the Broncos on Sunday, Sept. 10.