Kittle: 49ers' offense will be 'more exciting' with Lance
The San Francisco 49ers are expected to roll with Trey Lance as their starter in 2022 over Jimmy Garoppolo, and tight end George Kittle said he couldn't be more excited about what the second-year passer will add to the team's offense moving forward.
"If that's how it shakes down, and Trey Lance is the starter, I'm excited about it," Kittle said on "The Rich Eisen Show" Friday. "The things that he brings to the table in his athleticism and his rocket cannon of an arm, it's going to be really fun."
He added: "It's going to be a completely different quarterback than Jimmy G, who's great at his drop; he has a quick release. Trey's going to be a little bit more exciting in the fact that he's going to be extending plays a lot longer, using his legs to make up some stuff."
Lance mostly logged situational appearances last season, though he started two games while replacing an injured Garoppolo. He completed 59.6% of his passes for 441 yards and two touchdowns against two interceptions in those starts.
The 2021 third overall pick finished his rookie campaign with five touchdown passes to go along with 168 rushing yards and one score on 38 carries across six appearances.
Though many around the NFL remain unsure whether the 22-year-old Lance is ready to take over the starting role, Kittle is confident in the signal-caller based on what he's seen in training.
"Last year, he was a 21-year-old rookie," Kittle said. "He just needs reps, and he's getting those reps right now at OTAs.
"I'm excited to see Trey Lance play football because of the things I do see in practice, the throws that he does make, how he extends the plays, just his vision. It's going to be really fun."
Garoppolo has started 45 regular-season games for the 49ers since joining the club midway through the 2017 season. He was expected to be included in a flurry of quarterback movement earlier this offseason, but his trade value took a hit after undergoing right shoulder surgery in March.
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