Nothing drives a narrative in the NFL like drama at the game's most important position. And over the past year or so, you'd be hard-pressed to find a team with a more riveting soap opera at quarterback than the San Francisco 49ers.
First, the team mortgaged its future in the 2021 draft to select small-school standout, Trey Lance. Veteran signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo proceeded to lead the 49ers to 10 wins, a wild-card berth and a trip to the NFC Championship Game. Then, the 49ers spent most of the spring and summer talking up Lance as the future while shopping Garoppolo around the league.