SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — An offseason full of quarterback intrigue and speculation in San Francisco has left the 49ers in the same spot at the beginning of the season as they have been the past three years: Jimmy Garoppolo is the starting quarterback.

While coach Kyle Shanahan is being “hardheaded” in his own words and refusing to announce a starter, it’s been clear for weeks Garoppolo would begin the season in that role when the Niners visit Detroit on Sunday.

“I told you guys a long time ago, I had a pretty good feeling about it,” he said Wednesday. “Kind of joked about it, but yeah, I always kind of knew where I stood and everything. Now it’s official, I guess.”

While many outside the organization wondered if Garoppolo would still be around after the Niners traded three first-round picks to move up to No. 3 in the draft, where they took quarterback of the future Trey Lance, Shanahan and general manager John Lynch remained adamant Garoppolo was the starter.

They delivered the message to Garoppolo as soon as they made the trade and never wavered, deciding it was worth paying Garoppolo about $25 million to ensure they had at least one viable starting quarterback.

“Obviously it’s a weird situation in and of itself,” Garoppolo said. “But just throughout all of it, try to stay focused on myself and focused on getting this team better and putting us in the right position.”

Shanahan said Garoppolo has shown more command than ever with the offense and is in a good spot heading into the season with perhaps the most dynamic group of playmakers he has had, led by tight end George Kittle, receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, and running back Raheem Mostert.

“Jimmy has had as sharp of an offseason as he’s had since I’ve been around him,” Shanahan said. “I feel that, he feels that, I think our team feels that. I feel he’s in as good of a spot as he has been going into a season.”

Even though Garoppolo is starting in Week 1, his days are numbered in San Francisco as Lance likely will take over the job either later this year or possibly next.

SAN FRANCISCO (0-0) at DETROIT (0-0), Sunday, noon, Fox

SERIES RECORD: 49ers lead 38-28-1

LAST MEETING: 49ers beat Lions 30-27 on Sept. 16, 2018 in San Francisco

49ERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (15), RUSH (15), PASS (12), SCORING (21).

49ERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (5), RUSH (7), PASS (4), SCORING (17).

LIONS OFFENSE: OVERALL (20), RUSH (30), PASS (10), SCORING (20).

LIONS DEFENSE: OVERALL (32), RUSH (28), PASS (30), SCORING (32).

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: 49ers minus-11; Lions minus -9.

49ERS PLAYER TO WATCH: DE Nick Bosa is back for the first time since he had a knee injury in Week 2 of last year. Bosa was the 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year when he had nine sacks, 16 tackles for loss and 25 QB hits to help San Francisco reach the Super Bowl.

LIONS PLAYER TO WATCH: TE T.J. Hockenson appears to be the team’s best player in the post-Matthew Stafford era. The third-year pro is the first NFL tight end to have 50-plus yards receiving and a touchdown in Week 1 in each of his first two seasons. Hockenson is clearly new QB Jared Goff’s best option in the passing game.

KEY MATCHUP: Detroit rookie RT Penei Sewell, the No. 7 overall pick, will likely get tested by Bosa and Arik Armstead. Sewell struggled to block backups at times in the preseason, competing for the first time since the 2019 season at Oregon while making a transition from left to right tackle.

KEY INJURIES: After a season full of injuries, San Francisco is starting the season with no projected starters on the injured list. Rookie QB Trey Lance, the No. 3 overall pick, has a broken finger that could limit how much he is used for a change of pace in place of starter Jimmy Garoppolo. Lions RB D’Andre Swift (groin) and Hockenson (shoulder) went through all of practice Wednesday after being slowed by injuries in the preseason.

SERIES NOTES: The Niners have won 10 of the last 11 games, losing to the Lions six years ago for the only setback in a dominant stretch that started in the mid-1990s. … In the divisional round of the 1983 playoffs, Billy Sims ran for two scores in the fourth quarter to give the Lions a six-point lead at San Francisco and they tried to hold on. Joe Montana threw a go-ahead touchdown pass for the Niners and Detroit’s defeat was sealed with 11 seconds left when Eddie Murray was wide right on a 42-yard field goal.