National Football League

How the 49ers are navigating a two-QB system with Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance

Updated Sep. 19, 2021 1:35 p.m. ET

By Martin Rogers
FOX Sports Columnist

There are several things the National Football League just wouldn’t be the same without, and hugs are one of them.

There are joyous hugs of celebration, hugs of somber commiseration, touchdown hugs, interception hugs, pregame and postgame hugs, bro hugs, bear hugs and even hugs in which the participants’ hearts aren’t really in it, something a friend once insisted was known as a "shrug hug."

We don’t talk a lot about hugs, perhaps because they are so common, but in the case of Jimmy Garoppolo, Trey Lance and the weird seat-warming saga going on in San Francisco, we’ll make an exception.

On Sunday, Garoppolo, the 49ers' starting quarterback, and Lance, the rookie drafted to eventually (or perhaps imminently) replace him, shared a hug. They did so during the team’s 41-33 victory over the Detroit Lions, in the moments after Lance had come in toward the end of a drive and thrown his first career pass for a touchdown.

It happened by the 49ers' sideline, and it was sweet, uplifting and, yep, really freaking awkward all at the same time. It wasn’t exactly the hug heard around the world — because hugs don’t really get "heard," do they?

However, it was enough to make us realize one thing about the QB situation in the Bay Area. Whatever happens from this point forward, it is going to be a strange situation all season long.

"That’s not an easy hug to give," former NFL QB Mark Sanchez said on the FOX broadcast. When interviewed postgame, Garoppolo, with somewhat surprising candor, agreed.

"He's not wrong," Garoppolo said with a laugh. "It’s an it-is-what-it-is type of situation. It's just one of those things that you can only control what you can control. And I'm out there with my boys, making the best of it, having a good time. And at the end of the day, we're playing football, trying to get a win. So whatever it takes.

"This league, it's crazy how things happen. You've just got to roll with the punches and let the chips fall as they may at the end. And we'll see where everything is at the end."

It ends, almost certainly, with Garoppolo playing for another team, but we’ll get to that momentarily.

Garoppolo was in charge for the vast majority of the game, going 17-for-25 with 314 yards and a touchdown. The 49ers will visit the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2 and would love to begin the campaign with a pair of road wins to build some momentum. Frankly, they look good on both sides of the ball.

Jimmy Garoppolo: Despite sloppy start, 'I think we played great overall'

Jimmy Garoppolo joined FOX's Laura Okmin following the San Francisco 49ers' Week 1 win over the Detroit Lions. Hear Jimmy recap the win.

Is it possible for a team to be in a really strong position yet simultaneously in a bind? Plenty of organizations would be delighted to have a QB that took them to a Super Bowl less than two years ago running the show, with a youngster who smacks of smarts and potential waiting in the wings and backing him up.

The 49ers went all-in to get Lance in the offseason, sending a treasure-trove package to the Miami Dolphins to move up to the No. 3 pick, which, of course, they used to select the signal-caller from North Dakota State.

That put Garoppolo on the clock and effectively ensured that he has no long-term future in San Francisco, making this campaign an effective audition to determine where he lands next and how much he gets paid for it.

The worst-case scenario is that Garoppolo plays badly but not terribly, pushing the 49ers into a position in which the temptation is to thrust Lance into action earlier than they would like. Until the changeover, such an outcome would increase the awkwardness and become a talking point hanging over the team.

The best-case scenario is that Garoppolo thrives, taking a talented team toward a position in which it can contend for a deep playoff run and giving Lance time to grow and learn while being given occasional snaps in certain situations. Yet that situation has a similar effect in some ways. Moving on from Garoppolo appears to be set in stone right now, but what if the 49ers go 13-4 with him under center?

It’s going to be a hot-button issue, with plenty of disagreement, no matter what.

Marcellus Wiley: Both Jimmy G & Trey Lance will suffer from 49ers' 2-QB system I SPEAK FOR YOURSELF

Bucky Brooks joins Marcellus Wiley and Emmanuel Acho to discuss whether the two-quarterback system with Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo can work for the San Francisco 49ers.

On "First Things First," FS1’s Nick Wright predicted that the period following a Week 10 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams could be a tipping point, arguing that a string of subsequent games against relatively weak defenses might allow for a seamless introduction for the rookie.

"If Trey Lance is showing a grasp of the offense, showing growth throughout the season, there is a spot where even if Jimmy G is healthy, I think it makes sense," Wright said.

FOX Bet lists the 49ers as three-point favorites against Philadelphia, which has gone through the whole QB switcheroo thing itself, with Jalen Hurts now in control after Carson Wentz moved on to the Indianapolis Colts.

49ers fans can be forgiven for not knowing what to wish for. Even with a rousing 2-0 start, things are going to be uncomfortable. There is sympathy to be had for both Garoppolo, who is operating in a situation that comes with a mix of embarrassment and the permanent need to look over his shoulder, and Lance, who is learning from a guy whose job he’ll poach, sooner or later.

The best way to feel better when things are tense and awkward? A hug, of course. But even the most satisfying squeeze can’t fix everything, and it can’t fix every part of this conundrum. If the 49ers keep winning, though, does it even need fixing?

Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and the author of the FOX Sports Insider Newsletter. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.