SANTA CLARA — Jimmy Garoppolo won’t be skipping the 49ers’ exhibition opener Saturday, not after missing 72 percent of their snaps last season.

He also won’t be the star attraction.

Garoppolo, the still-entrenched starter, will yield the spotlight to rookie Trey Lance’s professional debut when the 49ers host the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi’s Stadium, where fans will be allowed to attend their first game since the 2019 team’s NFC Championship Game win.

Coach Kyle Shanahan, appearing on KNBR 680-AM before Thursday’s practice, vaguely outlined his plan for the exhibition opener as such: starters (see: Garoppolo) will play the opening series and then head to safety on the sideline.

“Once they’re out, I’m hoping Trey can finish out that first half,” Shanahan said. “I’d be surprised if we play him in the third quarter.”

Lance was more inactive than Garoppolo last season. North Dakota State played only one game in the fall — an Oct. 3 win over Central Arkansas — because of COVID precautions.

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That inactivity didn’t hurt Lance’s stock. Having gone undefeated en route to the 2019 College Football Subdivision national champion, Lance got drafted No. 3 overall by the 49ers and he’s had a mostly stellar training camp through two weeks.

“Oh, super excited,” Lance said Wednesday about his impending debut. “Excited to go out and compete with this locker room of guys. And kind of at the same time, everything’s new, like you said.

“So just being able to get used to everything, everything from the hotel the night before the game to pregame warmup. Everything’s going to be new, but at the same time football is football. So I feel I can do everything I can do it feel as prepared as I can on Saturday.”

Defensive end Nick Bosa is among the would-be starters who won’t play. His knee recovery is progressing well enough that Shanahan expects to implement him in team drills at practice following the 49ers’ second exhibition against the Los Angeles Chargers.