The San Francisco 49ers host the Los Angeles Rams in the Week 1 Monday Night Football double-header, which means there is a chance they will face No. 1 pick Jared Goff that night. However, given Goff is just a rookie, it should be no surprise that some reports suggest he might not be ready to start Week 1.
NFL Network analyst Steve Wyche said that there is some thought that Goff will not be ready for Week 1, and that Case Keenum could be the starter when the Rams travel north to Santa Clara.
"Jared Goff is nowhere near being ready to start Week 1," Wyche said on NFL Network. "He's only had offseason workout practices, but he's swimming in it. ... Training camp is vital for him. I spoke to one team official that said they are looking forward to seeing him in pads and preseason games because his ability to improvise are some some of his strengths. But do not be surprised -- I know the expectation is for him to start Week 1 -- but don't be shocked if Case Keenum is the starter, because, again, Jared Goff has a long way to go."
Earlier in the week, Jeff Fisher would not commit to Goff starting at any particular time. He said Goff will start when he is ready, whenever that might be. He said Case Keenum is currently the starter, but they will change it up with the reps.
It’s hard to really make a prediction on how this will play out. Whomever is at quarterback gets the benefit of handing the ball off quite frequently to Todd Gurley. Of course, the quarterback will still need to make their share of plays. Keenum is not the long-term answer, but for the short term, he might be the most capable option. On the other hand, the team could decide why waste time when they could be getting Goff critical developmental snaps. If they had finished 2-14 and were an absolute train wreck, I could see the importance of not destroying the young QB early. But as comical as it is to see Jeff Fisher consistently finishing 7-9 or 8-8, this is still a team with a lot more talent than your normal team picking No. 1. With that defense and Todd Gurley, it’s not necessarily the end of the world to roll out Goff right away.