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Shanahan: Garoppolo is 49ers' 'starter right now'
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Shanahan: Jimmy Garoppolo is 49ers' 'starter right now'

Jimmy Garoppolo's future with the San Francisco 49ers is in question after the franchise moved up in this year's draft to select Trey Lance third overall.

However, the veteran signal-caller appears to have his job secure entering the 2021 campaign. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday on the Rich Eisen Show that Garoppolo is the starter "right now."

It's reasonable to assume that Lance will become San Francisco's starter in 2022. If Garoppolo suffers another injury in 2021, Lance will likely get the opportunity to supplant him sooner. 

When healthy, Garoppolo has had success in the NFL. However, he has a difficult time staying healthy, and his play has been inconsistent. In four seasons with the Niners, the 29-year-old has played just one full season, in 2019 when he led the franchise to the Super Bowl. 

The other three seasons were marred by injury, which is something Shanahan and general manager John Lynch couldn't overlook in this year's draft. 

The 49ers had their eyes on Lance "since the beginning," Shanahan said at his post-draft press conference, adding, "… we knew exactly where we were going and what we were doing."

Although the 49ers brass is high on Lance, who will eventually take Garoppolo's job barring unforeseen circumstances, the veteran signal-caller was the first to text the North Dakota St. product and welcome him aboard. While there was speculation that Garoppolo might have been upset with the pick, it appears he'll be a team player and help Lance develop over the next several months. 

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