Jimmy G or Trey Lance? 49ers George Kittle weighs in | You Pod to Win the Game

Yahoo Sports’ Senior NFL Writer Charles Robinson is joined by San Francisco’s star tight end. Kittle shares his thoughts on the 49ers quarterback controversy. How does he handle a question that has hovered over the team almost every year he has been with the Niners. Hear the full conversation on the You Pod to Win the Game podcast. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen.

Video Transcript

CHARLES ROBINSON: OTAs are rolling now, and you're going to have full squads pretty soon. Trey Lance, big topic of conversation. Any time-- obviously, look, you deal, you trade the picks to get up and get a kid. The writing's on the wall. This is who we're betting on as being our starter.

Jimmy, to his credit-- Jimmy Garoppolo-- went through last season, was a pro's pro, showed up, did his thing. You didn't hear a peep out of him. I mean, probably the best case scenario for any NFL team would be to have Jimmy totally take last season the way that he did. Now you're entering this sort of rotation, and there's this question about Trey. Is he ready? Is he going to be the starter?

What's going to happen with Jimmy? It's got to feel weird. This has got to be weird for you as a player. Because, look, you know what's going on with the young kid. You're backing the vet. You're close to these guys. But this has to be a weird situation.

GEORGE KITTLE: You know what, the only thing that has made it less weird is that I've been involved with QB controversy in the Niners for my entire career.

CHARLES ROBINSON: Your entire career.

GEORGE KITTLE: Every offseason I'm in, it's Jimmy G, Trey Lance, what quarterback, what's the next answer. It's just like, you know what, at the end of the day, someone's going to be lined up behind center, and they're going to be throwing me the ball. So I just hope that they throw me the ball more than they throw other people at the ball, and I'll be really happy. So I love Jimmy. He has taken us to two NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl. We were a minute-- whatever, a third down away from winning that.

So it's like, yeah, we know what Jimmy can do. He's a great quarterback. He's a fantastic leader. And on the other hand, you have Trey Lance who's a fantastic young talent with a cannon of an arm, can run, can extend plays. Some of the plays he makes in practice, I'm like, holy cow, that was a video game play. And so they're two completely different players.

And the best thing that could have happened last year with Jimmy and how he handled it, which you said, everything, professional, best of the best. Like unreal. Because it was an awkward situation for him. And he took Trey Lance under his wing, and Trey was able to learn from him and be able to become a pro and be able to learn how to take notes, learn how to digest Kyle Shanahan's offense, which is confusing. And so I know Trey took steps forward because of being under Jimmy's wing.

So we'll see what happens. I don't know. That's up to Kyle Shanahan. And you know, Kyle, that's all on you, dog. You got it. I believe in you, man. Good luck. But at the end of the day, look, I play tight end for the 49ers. And whoever's wearing that logo next to me behind center, I can't wait to play with him.

And who knows, man. You got Nate Sudfeld here, too, who looks fantastic. He's been great for us. And we also have Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, Iowa State's finest. Are you kidding me? Never thought I would say that out loud. But I did. Go Hawks. But you know what, we got a full quarterback room. I'm looking to see them compete. Whatever happens happens, and I know that Shanahan is going to have us ready to go week one.