John Lynch Says 49ers 'Don't Need' Jimmy Garoppolo Right Now

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on NBC Bay Area's 49ers Game Plan show, which will air Saturday, that the Niners don't need quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to play immediately (h/t Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports):

"The plan is to continue to get him ready. It’s a very different system he played under. A great system, but a different system he played under in New England. And [head coach Kyle Shanahan's] system is complex for a quarterback. There’s a lot of verbiage in every play call. There are a lot of adjustments on every play call that the quarterback controls.

"We want to set Jimmy up for success and also the way [C.J. Beathard's] playing is helping us sit back. And now we have a bye week. They’re going to work hard during this week to get him up to speed. But right now, we don’t need him. C.J. just played a great game and his teammates really believe in him. We think it's nothing but a good situation."

Lynch also reiterated that the Niners believe Garoppolo has the ability to be their franchise quarterback in the future:

"We know what we like about Garoppolo. And that’s only been strengthened by the time that’s he’s been here. We’re just going to let these things play out. That’s in Kyle’s hands.

"People have had all these ideas about why we got Jimmy. We got Jimmy because we think he has big-time ability at the quarterback position. And we believe so much—to get where we need to get—you have to have a franchise quarterback. We think he’s got that ability. Whether that happens, when that happens, we’ll see. But we certainly like his future with the 49ers."

Giving Garoppolo time to get a firm grasp on the system makes sense for the Niners, who are already well out of postseason consideration. Plus, the Niners are tied for second in sacks allowed (32) this season and just 21st in yards per game (325.9 yards per contest) so it's possible they see little benefit throwing Garoppolo to the wolves behind a suspect offensive line while offering him a dearth of weapons.

San Francisco is tied with the New York Giants for the second-worst record in the NFL at 1-9. Why rush Garoppolo—ostensibly a significant upgrade over Beathard—into action during a lost season when it can develop him and continue losing games, ensuring a top-three pick in the 2018 NFL draft?

The 49ers would never admit to tanking, and it's possible it isn't even a consideration within the organization. Just the same, it's a potential ancillary benefit to taking their lumps with Beathard and bringing Garoppolo along slowly. 

To be fair to Beathard, he played well against the Giants, finishing 19-of-25 with 288 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the team's 31-21 win.

That said, it's hard to imagine the Niners would keep a player like Garoppolo—whom they gave up a second-round pick to acquire and whom they continue to indicate could be their franchise quarterback of the future—on the bench if they were gunning for a playoff spot.

For context, the Minnesota Vikings thrust Sam Bradford into action about two weeks after trading for him last season, while the Indianapolis Colts handed Jacoby Brissett his first start two weeks after acquiring him this season. The Niners, mired in a lost season, can afford to be more patient.