“I think they keep Jimmy until you find somebody else,” Montana said.
Joe Montana never enjoyed looking over his shoulder.
So perhaps it should come as no surprise the legendary 49ers quarterback believes Jimmy Garoppolo shouldn’t have to either.
During an appearance on The Ringer’s “Slow News Day,” Montana made it clear he feels John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan should retain Garoppolo as the team’s starting quarterback in large part because the Hall of Famer doesn’t think Lance is ready to play.
“I think they keep Jimmy until you find somebody else,” Montana told Kevin Clark. “I don’t think Trey’s ready to play yet, as myself and after talking to some of the players. I think it’s one of those things that if you can keep Jimmy healthy, he plays well enough to get you (to the Super Bowl).”
Montana’s comments come two months after another 49ers legend, Steve Young, appeared on KNBR and expressed frustration that Shanahan had largely excluded Lance from the team’s offensive game plans during the second half of the season.
“Why is Trey not capable of getting on the field?” Young asked in December. “I’m not saying starting. Where we started the year was we had some packages, I want to see him play, he’s a different dynamic, he can be really great in the red zone. Why is he shut down?”
Montana’s has been fairly critical of the 49ers’ selection of Lance as he said in November the team should have pursued Patriots rookie Mac Jones in the draft, whereas Young has repeatedly expressed optimism surrounding Lance’s potential to elevate San Francisco’s offense.
The 49ers’ current quarterback dynamic is obviously different than the one Bill Walsh created when he pitted one future Hall of Famer against another more than 30 years ago, but it’s been interesting to monitor Montana and Young’s comments since the franchise committed to selecting Garoppolo’s eventual successor.
Last week, Young said on KNBR that while his relationship with Montana was uncomfortable at times, it served both well as he noted: “Bill was right. He told me one time, “I’m gonna bring out the best of both of you.'”
“When I was on the sideline, I was staring down every defense,” Young said. “I wanted (Montana) to know everything that just happened. We had that relationship. As awkward as it was, it was fruitful.”
Montana’s vision for keeping Garoppolo in San Francisco doesn’t take into account the salary cap ramifications that will likely prevent the 49ers from having that option. With a cap hit of nearly $27 million next year, retaining Garoppolo would require San Francisco to trade or cut other high-profile players who are expected to play critical roles in helping Lance lead the franchise back to the playoffs.
