Even if the San Francisco 49ers hold onto Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, the Trey Lance era starts now.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said Lance has “got indications” from the team that he’ll be the starter in 2022 regardless of Garoppolo’s status:

“The market hasn’t been overly hot right now, largely because of Garoppolo’s shoulder surgery. Teams don’t know when he’ll be able to throw; it might be later in the summer. And so, can he pass a physical? These are questions that teams are sort of asking right now. We mentioned the Panthers earlier in relation to [Baker Mayfield]; they’ve done their homework on Garoppolo too. They’ve looked at all options, and Garoppolo is one. So that’s something to watch for down the road. Right now, San Francisco is prepared to hold on to that $26 million salary, at least as a placeholder for now. They believe they can do all of their business with draft picks and free agents until they sort all of this out.