Odds to Be 49ers’ Starting Quarterback in Week 1 – Garoppolo Heavily Favored Over Lance
- A prop wager is favoring Jimmy Garoppolo to remain the starting quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers for the 2021 NFL season
- Third-overall pick Trey Lance is a +300 underdog
- See the odds for all the options, below, plus betting advice
Trey Lance is the future quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers. That future, though, isn’t now.
In the short term, the Niners will continue to put their football fortunes in the hands of veteran Jimmy Garoppolo.
Oddsmakers are of this opinion as well. In a prop wager asking who will be the 49ers’ starting quarterback for Week 1 of the 2021 NFL regular season, veteran Garoppolo is the odds-on -400 favorite. Lance is the +300 second choice to be under center for game one of the 2021 campaign.
Odds to Be San Francisco 49ers Week 1 Starting QB
| Quarterback | Odds at DraftKings |
|---|---|
| Jimmy Garoppolo | -400 |
| Trey Lance | +300 |
| Josh Rosen | +2500 |
| Nate Sudfeld | +3300 |
Odds as of May 4th.
The new 17-game 2021 NFL schedule is slated to kickoff on Thursday, September 9th.
It’s Garoppolo’s Huddle … For Now
There was speculation leading up to the draft that was suggesting the 49ers were seeking to deal Garoppolo to the New England Patriots. San Francisco acquired Jimmy G from the Pats in October of 2017.
However, that talk halted once the Patriots selected Alabama QB Mac Jones in the first round of the draft. That means for the foreseeable future, it’s still Garoppolo who is charge of the offensive huddle for the 49ers.
I'm told Jimmy Garoppolo asked for Trey Lance's number immediately after the pick to welcome him to the team.
If that doesn't say enough about the character of the people on this team, I don't know what does.#49ers
— Keiana Martin (@KeianaMartinTV) April 30, 2021
Don’t be fooled by last season’s 6-10 record. San Francisco is much closer to the team that went 13-3, won the NFC West title and lost in the 2020 Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs.
At +1400 in the Super Bowl odds, the Niners are the co-fourth betting choice to win next season’s title. They wouldn’t be thought of that highly were they to put a rookie under center.
Lance Has Much To Learn
Lance is the prototype of the modern NFL QB. He’s cut from the same mold as Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and and Buffalo’s Josh Allen. He can beat you with his arm, or he can beat you with his feet.
In 2019, his final season at North Dakota State, the 6-foot-4 QB threw for 2,786 yards, 26 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Lance also rambled for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground.
Beyond his awe-inspiring numbers, the 49ers are also of the opinion that Lance was the most savvy of the QBs available to them at #3. They rate his football IQ as being off the charts.
Great point Jimmy Garoppolo made today as part of his radio tour, his first public comments since the 49ers’ big trade up:
FCS-to-NFL transition for Trey Lance is a big one speed-wise, but it’s one Garoppolo himself made.
49ers have a mentor that’s walked the walk for Lance
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) May 4, 2021
That being said, he’s only 20 years old and has much to learn. North Dakota State isn’t exactly an NCAA powerhouse. Lance hasn’t faced the level of competition that Jones, Ohio State’s Justin Fields or Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence saw during their NCAA careers.
As an FBS QB, certainly Lance will deal with skeptics who’ll question whether he can made the grade as an NFL signal caller. Well, there’s no need to look far for evidence that it can be done. Garoppolo played his college ball at Eastern Illinois.
Other Teams Facing Similar Decisions
The 49ers aren’t the only NFL team with a veteran/rookie decision to make at QB. The Patriots will be choosing between Jones and Cam Newton, last year’s starter.
“It meant the world to me and my family especially that (Jimmy) reached out to me”
“It was really encouraging to me just to know that we’ll be able to have an awesome relationship”#49ers Trey Lance on what it meant to have Jimmy Garoppolo reach out 👏
via @49ers || #TreyArea pic.twitter.com/5RiYz6928W
— 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙎𝙁𝙉𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨 (@Thesfniners_) May 4, 2021
In Chicago, the Bears brought in veteran Andy Dalton, the long time Cincinnati Bengals starter. Then they traded up to select Fields in the first round.
It’s worthy of note that even though neither of those teams are viewed as A-list Super Bowl contenders, in both cases the vet is favored to get the starting nod.
Go With Garoppolo
It doesn’t make any sense at all for the 49ers to throw Lance to the wolves and start him this season. They aren’t the Bengals, who handed the ball to rookie Joe Burrow last season. The Niners aren’t in a rebuild.
"It pays dividends for Trey Lance and this football team to keep Jimmy Garoppolo, just not as their starting quarterback."@danorlovsky7 on the the 49ers' plan for Jimmy Garoppolo pic.twitter.com/ahaeE9jxwH
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) May 4, 2021
The best approach is to do what KC did with Mahomes. They let him watch and learn his first season while Alex Smith led the Chiefs to the playoffs. Then they handed him the ball, and Mahomes has taken them to a pair of Super Bowls since.
Pick: Jimmy Garoppolo (-400)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
