San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (5) and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Trey Lance: Jimmy Garoppolo one of my best friends

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 1/31/22

For the better part of the 2021 NFL season, football fans and talking heads alike tried their best to tear Jimmy Garoppolo down. Each time that happened, his 49ers teammates came to his defense.

Perhaps no one defended him better than backup quarterback Trey Lance did on Monday, calling the starting QB one of his best friends.

"Obviously he's going to be one of my best friends my entire life," the rookie told reporters one day after Garoppolo and the Niners suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game.

"Everyone put us against each other...but he's been nothing but a big brother to me...Obviously, he's going to be one of my best friends for my entire life." Trey Lance on Jimmy Garoppolo #49ers
— Tracy Sandler (@49ersfangirl) January 31, 2022

Lance isn't wrong in saying the two were put up against each other with little to no provocation. Even as Garoppolo helped propel San Francisco into the playoffs, there were calls for head coach Kyle Shanahan to put Lance under center the second Garoppolo threw an interception or got hurt.

According to Lance, however, his first NFL season was all about the learning experience.

“I got to learn from Jimmy, one of the best dudes I could have learned from, as a person, as a pro.” Trey Lance #49ers
— Tracy Sandler (@49ersfangirl) January 31, 2022

Garoppolo, 30, has accumulated a 31-14 regular-season record since joining San Francisco in 2017. Despite the strong record, his tenure with the Niners has also been peppered with injuries, leading many to think the team will choose to move on from him in 2022. He has one year left on his current contract and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2023.

The former second-round pick out of Eastern Illinois plans to have surgery during the offseason to repair a thumb injury.

More must-reads: