The San Francisco 49ers made a bold decision this offseason. They decided to make a change at the quarterback position, replacing Jimmy Garoppolo, who has been the starter since being acquired from the New England Patriots in 2017, for Trey Lance.

It was a move that was coming sooner than later as the 49ers traded up and selected Lance with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. To his credit, Garoppolo was solid for the 49ers as he led the team to two NFC Championship games, winning in 2020 before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Part of the reason that the 49ers made the change is that they feel Lance will give them a chance to be a more dynamic offense. When looking at some of the stats, it is hard to argue against that.

Kyle Shanahan never seemed to fully open up the offense with Garoppolo at the helm, as he was essentially a very good game manager. However, he had a good reason for that. According to NFL on CBS, Garoppolo was the worst downfield passer in the NFL the last two seasons with at least 15 starts.

Garoppolo registered a passer rating of 3.5 on throws with 30+ air yards since 2020. That is an unfathomably poor number as Trevor Lawrence was the next closest with a 28.2 rating. Lawrence has some plausible excuses as he had to play with Urban Meyer as head coach and with a weak supporting cast. Garoppolo, on the other hand, was throwing passes to Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle.

There have been reports that the 49ers were unable to find a trade partner for Garoppolo this offseason because of the shoulder surgery that he underwent and there is likely some truth to that. However, knowing how limited the offense can be downfield with him at the helm likely plays into that as well.

But, credit needs to be given when it is due. While Garoppolo struggles to push the ball downfield, he excels in the one statistic that truly matters and that is winning. In 45 starts, Garoppolo is 31-14. He may not put up the gaudiest stats but he knows how to win a game.