Shanahan won't say if Lance, Garoppolo will play vs. Chiefs

Kyle Shanahan is usually pretty vocal, but regarding Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance, he has become tight-lipped. Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Shanahan won't say if Trey Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo will play vs. Chiefs

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 8/10/21

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has repeatedly insisted veteran Jimmy Garoppolo will start at quarterback over rookie and third overall draft pick Trey Lance when the regular season gets underway in September.

However, Shanahan said last week that Lance will play at least "situationally" this fall, and the coach offered no hints Tuesday about the QB who will take snaps during Saturday's preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs:

#49ers Kyle Shanahan post-practice:
No announcement on QBs for Saturday exhibition or if Garoppolo must play

Jalen Hurd didn’t practice because “some things were bothering him” and there is “not a lot of time left” to prove worthy of roster spot

Flannigan-Fowles (concussion) pic.twitter.com/BssfzGnu8h
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) August 10, 2021

Shanahan sitting Garoppolo this weekend might not be a sign of anything, even if Lance takes the field and performs well. Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay recently said he will never have veteran Matthew Stafford take a snap during any preseason contests, and other coaches from around the league are expected to sit their starting signal-callers through the entire exhibition portion of the calendar to avoid needless injury worries.

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted, Lance might receive first-team reps in preseason games to ensure he's protected behind San Francisco's starting offensive line before he makes way for backups Josh Rosen and Nate Sudfeld during those matchups.

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