Why Shanahan won't guarantee Jimmy G remains 49er past draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
As the 49ers prepare to alter the course of their franchise in the 2021 NFL Draft, Jimmy Garoppolo remains the elephant in the room.
We know the 49ers will use the No. 3 overall pick to select their next franchise QB, with all the smoke pointing in Mac Jones' direction. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have said the plan is for Garoppolo to be the starter in 2021, but there's no guarantee the oft-injured signal-caller will be on the roster past Sunday.
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"I can't guarantee that anybody in the world will be alive Sunday, so I can't guarantee who will be on our roster come Sunday," Shanahan told reporters Monday when asked if Garoppolo would for sure be a 49er after the draft concludes. "So that goes for all of us."
Garoppolo has missed 23 games over the past three seasons. Garoppolo's extensive injury history led Shanahan and Lynch to make the decision to trade up to No. 3 to select a franchise quarterback to replace Garoppolo. When healthy, Garoppolo has been a good NFL starter, but the 49ers can't continue to put their eggs in Garoppolo's fragile basket.
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With the draft four days away, the 49ers' decision reportedly is down to Jones and North Dakota State's Trey Lance, with Jones appearing to hold the slight edge.
No matter who the 49ers select at No. 3, the goal is to have depth at the sport's most important position. Having Garoppolo start with a rookie backing up is the ideal scenario. But as Shanahan and Lynch have already stated, anyone can be acquired for the right price.
