Alex Smith: 49ers handled Jimmy Garoppolo-Trey Lance situation 'really well'

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith is no stranger to the situation the club experienced throughout the 2021 NFL season when veteran signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo started ahead of rookie and first-round pick Trey Lance. Smith was atop the depth chart of the Kansas City Chiefs when they spent a first-round selection on Patrick Mahomes back in 2017 and, ultimately, mentored his replacement as did Garoppolo. 

To their credit, both Garoppolo and Lance publicly said only positive things about their working relationship throughout the process, and both head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch earned praise for sticking with a plan that resulted in the 49ers coming just a handful of plays short of a potential berth in Super Bowl LVI. 

"Jimmy is a really, really good player, took them to the NFC championship, on the doorstep of the Super Bowl, despite them obviously drafting his replacement," Smith told Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News. "Trey Lance is a young kid, super talented and they handled it really well. I give them all a lot of credit — Kyle (Shanahan), John (Lynch), Jimmy and Trey. 

"The entire world was trying to tear them apart and they were keeping it together. There were a lot of similarities that way from my time in Kansas City with me and Patrick." 

Barring an unforeseen circumstance, the 49ers will officially trade Garoppolo at some point after the new league year opens next month so Lance can become their starter ahead of training camp.