Last month, fullback Kyle Juszczyk said in an interview that he absolutely believed Jimmy Garoppolo would be the 49ers starting quarterback in 2021, adding that Garoppolo would get the team back to winning.
And then San Francisco traded up to No. 3 overall.
So during a recent appearance on the Fantasy Footballers podcast, Juszczyk answered the QB question differently since it’s clear the team will be picking one in two weeks.
“As it stands now, Jimmy’s still on the roster,” Juszczyk said, via 49ersWebZone.com. “So, I anticipate that he’s most likely going to start the season off for us. Don’t know that’s necessarily the case or not, but it’s kind of what I’m envisioning, maybe like the Alex Smith to Patrick Mahomes transition. I could see that being feasible, but I don’t know. We’re just going to have to take it in stride, and I’m going to support whoever’s under center, whether it’s Jimmy or a rookie quarterback. I think, either way, we’re going to be successful.”
Juszczyk admitted he was surprised by the trade, while also being excited at the prospect of getting top-tier talent.
But at the same time, he felt for Garoppolo.
"[J]ust from the personal side, Jimmy has been a great friend and a great teammate,” Juszczyk said. “When he’s healthy, he’s been a great player for us. You feel different ways about that, but, at the end of the day, as a player, you just have to put all your faith into Kyle [Shanahan] and [John] Lynch, that they’re making the best decision for the team.”