When ESPN “Get Up” host Domonique Foxworth was asked on Tuesday ,if the 49ers could win the Super Bowl with Jimmy Garoppolo as the starter, he responded with an answer that almost made co-host Jeff Saturday fall out of his chair.
“As the backup QB, yeah. I think they need to go Trey Lance,” Foxworth said, already establishing the hottest sports take of the day before noon. “I know that it’s a little bit off the beaten path, but the reason why you go with a quarterback like Jimmy Garoppolo is because he protects you from the low-lows … right? I want this veteran guy because he will not have these awful plays and he may not give me the high-end performance that I want, but he won’t have the awful decisions and bad turnovers in big moments.
“Jimmy Garoppolo is missing important passes in big moments, so he’s not giving you those high-end plays. He’s also desperately, desperately trying to throw the ball to the other team every single week. So, a young guy can do that too and potentially has a high-end ability. I wouldn’t have the heart to do it if I was Kyle Shanahan, but it’s the truth.”
Saturday’s reaction to Foxworth’s bold and outlandish suggestion:
“Domonique, you are high. You have lost your freaking mind.”
We all know that Foxworth was reaching and trying to compare this situation to when Colin Kaepernick emerged from his backup role to capture the NFL world by storm when starter Alex Smith went down with a concussion in Week 10 of the 2012 season.
Kaepernick had very little experience, appearing in just three games as a rookie.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh thrust Kaepernick into action. The dual-threat dynamo wasn’t as polished a pocket passer as Smith, but Kaep could make explosive plays with his rocket launcher of an arm, speed and elusiveness. Harbaugh kept Smith on the bench when he cleared concussion protocols and a star was born as Kaepernick led the 49ers to their first Super Bowl since 1994, when Steve Young, Jerry Rice and John Taylor were killing the game.
He returned to the NFC Championship Game in 2013 and that was the height of Kaepernick’s NFL career, for the many reasons that we’ve all discussed ad nauseum, and yet never enough.
But Harbaugh saw something in Kaepernick. The former 49ers coach, who currently leads the Michigan Wolverines, played his gut and caught lightning in a bottle. Lance seems to possess a similar skill set and he has the same raw potential that Kaep had.
Lance has spent his first NFL season holding a clipboard and becoming a student of the game. He did make two starts in place of an injured Jimmy G, so he’s not really green.
Foxworth’s point wasn’t lost on the social media mosh pit. Some Niners fans agreed with his idea.
I don’t want to hear Jimmy Garoppolo after the game make excuses about injuries.
If he can’t be accurate with drive on the football, he shouldn’t be in the huddle.
Trey Lance should start, but that’s too logical and makes too much sense for this dumb organization and head coach
— Roland Schitt (@RolandSchitt11) January 22, 2022
Despite the current starter’s success, the 49ers seem to be going full steam ahead with plans for Trey Lance to take over the franchise as early as next season, regardless of what happens in January and possibly February.
According to 49ers Web Zone, 49ers general manager John Lynch appeared on Bay Area radio station 95.7 The Game on Jan. 14 and was asked how he would evaluate the rookie’s first season.
“I think it’s been awesome,” Lynch responded. “And a lot of people, I’m sure, are like, ‘Man, this guy’s crazy. What do you mean? He hasn’t played that much.’ But we had a plan for Trey, and I think the plan was to take it week by week. And we just wanted to see constant growth and development.
“The thing I’ll tell you about Trey—we’re more excited about him today than when we drafted him. And that’s because of the amount of horsepower that he has. When you’re trying to find a franchise quarterback, you’re looking at everything. You’re looking at competitive greatness, about when the moment’s big, how are they going to respond? You’re talking about the physical traits and tools. He’s got all of those.”
And we know how Lynch really feels about his starting QB.
Jimmy G is winning games, but the feeling you get from 49ers brass is that no matter what he does, San Francisco already has his stuff packed at the door. Hopefully, that’s all Foxworth was really suggesting.
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