The Most Entertaining Offseason in 49ers History is Finally Over...Or is it?
I'd hate to be the guy to say, "I told you so," but I told you so. Jimmy Garoppolo has returned. What does this mean for Trey Lance? Well, I could tell you what his return means for me -- more entertainment.
This has been by far the most entertaining offseason in 49ers history. First, there was the Deebo Samuel fiasco, which I believe was a media ploy to keep 49ers in the news cycle. I mean think about it -- even during the 49ers Super Bowl run in 2019, they didn't get this much media coverage. For years, the 49ers have been seen as a great team but there was nothing for the media to sink their teeth into until this offseason.
Mike McDaniel, the 49ers' former run game architect, left and is making waves in Miami as the Dolphins head coach. All you hear in South Florida is how McDaniel will bring the "49er way" to the Dolphins.
And although the 49ers were not major players in free agency, they got better by bringing back Kerry Hyder and adding Charvarius "Mooney" Ward. For the most part, the 49ers brought back everyone who was on that Championship team and upgraded and built depth at key positions.
But what put the 49ers over the top as far as national media coverage giving the Cowboys a run for their money this offseason was the quarterback drama. What were the 49ers going to do with Garoppolo, and is Lance ready to take the reins? With Garoppolo's return, I don't see it like the 49ers Faithful sees it. I see the 49ers ensuring themselves that they have a capable backup, something that they haven't had since Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick were on the team together.
They also worked it to where Garoppolo is now tradable, so it's a win-win for everyone. Now the only thing that has to happen is Lance has to display that maturity that everyone raved about. It shouldn't concern him that Garoppolo is in the locker room if he plays well, because players gravitate to whoever plays well. You could be the funny guy or even the most liked, but whoever is winning games is the one everyone follows. So Lance shouldn't take this as a slight. He should relish the opportunity and rise to the occasion, and I believe he will.
