Jimmy Garoppolo knows a thing or two because he’s seen a thing or two.
The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback believes former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance has a bright future ahead of him in Friday’s trade that will see former first-round The pick went to the Dallas Cowboys.
“Excited for Trey. It’s just a new opportunity for him,” Garoppolo told NFL Network. “For whatever reason, things weren’t going well in San Francisco, but glad he got another chance, man. This league is full of opportunities, and when you get a new opportunity like this, you have to take advantage of it.
“Everyone has their own path and stuff like that. It’s never going to be easy, but that’s how you get out of it. So I’m always excited for him, man. He’s my brother. Always Pull the wind for him.”
Garoppolo, 31, knows what it’s like to start over because he’s done so twice.
The first was in 2017, when the New England Patriots traded Tom Brady’s alternate successor to the 49ers.
Garoppolo then signed a three-year, $72.75 million contract with the Raiders in March.
Before heading to Vegas, though, Garoppolo spent two seasons with Lance in San Francisco.
For Garoppolo, Lance’s future is bright.
“Trey’s my brother, man, so like I said before, I’m always rooting for him,” Garoppolo said. “I think he has a bright future in this league. Dude has talent just gotta get him out.”
Garoppolo’s comments follow a recent conversation with the San Francisco Chronicle in which he admitted that Lance’s arrival as the 49ers’ heir apparent was “really awkward.”
“You’re always going to be treated harshly at some point, and you’ve got to make the most of it, and that’s what I’ve been trying to do. It was a tough time,” Lance said.
“But I’ve got some good people around me that I can lean on. Guys in the locker room, those guys make a big difference. I don’t think the fans see that all the time, but sometimes when I’m down, those guys do will inspire me.”
Former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold won the 49ers’ backup quarterback contest, and 23-year-old Lance was the outlier this time around.
With Darnold locked in starter Brock Purdy, San Francisco decided to waive Lance, the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The 49ers gave up three first-round picks and selected Lance.
But the Lance they acquired from the Cowboys last week was only a fourth-round pick for next year.
