AP Photo/Josie LepeAlthough he will likely lose his job to the rookie quarterback at one point, Jimmy Garoppolo has maintained a strong connection with Trey Lance of the San Francisco 49ers.KVRR's Jackson Roberts heard Lance say that Garoppolo was an incredible resource as he prepares for his first season in NFL."He's a great man. He is one of my favorite people and I have been blessed to be with some really great people. There are guys who will play today and there are guys in the locker room right now. Jimmy is exactly like that and the organization is also similar. It's a great feeling to be in this position and to be able be part of something like it. From other men's experiences, I know that the coaching staff and all those who run that organization do it at a very high level.It sounds fantastic in theory to have a mentor-mentee relationship in the quarterback room. It can be difficult to implement this plan in practice.One of the most famous recent examples is Brett Favre's refusal to roll out the red carpet in support of Aaron Rodgers, after the Green Bay Packers had selected Rodgers in 2005.Seth Wickersham, ESPN's sports reporter, painted a picture of a fraught dynamic between Garoppolo (and Tom Brady) when they were teammates with the New England Patriots. Garoppolo stated in January 2020, however that Brady and he had always had a great relationship.He compared his current situation with his time in New England. However, he is now in the Brady position. In May, he explained to Keyshawn JWill & Zubin that it was "kind of coming full circle."Garoppolo stated, "You go through the NFL career and you begin as a young man coming in." "Tom kinda showed me the ropes. It was a great competition. I learned so much as a rookie player and a young player. That's what Trey and I have in common. We'll make our relationship work that way."If the incumbent starter is not available, a team can put a rookie quarterback in a difficult spot. You can feel resentment in the locker room or the older player may not be concerned about the development of the younger players.This doesn't seem to be an issue right now for the 49ers.
