Peter King: 49ers could keep Jimmy Garoppolo, start Trey Lance

During a Monday appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show," NFL analyst Ross Tucker predicted that San Francisco 49ers veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will ultimately end up with the Carolina Panthers this summer, in part so Garoppolo's current employer can officially name 2021rookie Trey Lance its new starter.

There is currently no indication Carolina or any other team is willing to part ways with top-tier assets to land Garoppolo, and the 49ers don't seem eager to sell the 30-year-old at a discounted price considering he helped them notch playoff wins at the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers this past January before San Francisco fell to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams 20-17 in the NFC Championship.

NFL insider Peter King spoke with Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd on Tuesday and said the 49ers could keep Garoppolo and Lance in the same quarterback room for another season but with Lance atop the depth chart this time around.

"You can say whatever you want about Jimmy Garoppolo and how they carried him, he struggled, whatever," King explained, according to David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone. "All I know is that Jimmy Garoppolo and that defense played well enough at Green Bay on a blisteringly cold night ... and they knocked Aaron Rodgers and the Packers out of the playoffs.

"You can [ask], 'What plays did Jimmy Garoppolo make in that game?' The point is that sometimes you need your quarterback to not lose the game. And that's why, to me, unless somebody gives San Francisco a decent offer, I will not be surprised if they do the same thing this year (keeping Garoppolo) with one exception: I do think that unless he is simply not ready to play, I do think the starter opening day will be Trey Lance."

That last part is key, as multiple reports since February have suggested some within the 49ers think Lance isn't ready to start for a Super Bowl contender. Last week, former San Francisco cornerback Richard Sherman said on a podcast episode he believes the 49ers could keep Garoppolo as "a really expensive safety valve" through at least training camp.