General Manager John Lynch said at the team’s preliminary press conference Monday that the 49ers “expect” quarterback Trey Lance on the team in 2023. Here’s what you need to know:
- Lance’s name came to the fore amid trade speculation after the team said Brock Purdy, if healthy, would be the “leader on the club” starting quarterback.
- Lynch said Monday that talks about trading Lance “have not been of such substance.”
- The 22-year-old Lance, a No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, started the 2022 season as the starting quarterback before suffering a season-ending ankle injury that required surgery in Week 2. He had a second operation in December to remove hardware from surgery in September. .
- For the second year in a row, the 49ers did not have a first-round pick. But they have 11 draft picks overall starting in the third round, including a league-high seven compensatory draft picks.
the athleteInstant Analysis:
Purdy clearly remains the top choice for the 49ers
During the new conference Monday, Lynch pointedly reiterated what he and coach Kyle Shanahan said a month ago at NFL owners’ meetings: Purdy is the team’s preferred choice at QB. The big caveat in play, of course, is Purdy’s health – the timeline for his return from UCL surgery remains unclear. But the 49ers are optimistic that Birdie’s rehabilitation is going well, and that’s allowed the Copper to confidently place him above Lance in the standings.
“As far as I understand, he’s punctual,” Lynch said of Purdy. “It hits all the checkpoints.”
Purdy’s position at the top doesn’t mean the 49ers ignore Lance. The team needed three quarterbacks to make the NFC Championship Game last season and the 49ers clearly put a premium on deep room at a QB again.
“We’re focused on (Lance) being able to compete and be an integral part of this team,” said Lynch. – Lombardy
What does Lance’s future hold?
Lynch said Monday that he would need to see a “big offer” for Lance’s trading, and his descriptions of the discussions he’s had so far suggest it’s nowhere near that level. He said, “They weren’t that substantial.” It’s hard to imagine any team putting on a bold showing, at least until the start of the season. Lance simply didn’t play much. He started four games, in one of which he suffered a knee injury (2021 against the Cardinals) and fractured his ankle early in a Week 2 game against the Seahawks last season. If Purdy continues down the same trajectory he’s been on at the end of 2022, the 49ers will likely end up trading Lance. But it’s hard to see that happening until the middle of the season or, more likely, even after the season.
Lance will likely run the first-team offense when the OTAs begin next month. And he’ll do it with a retooled delivery, which he’s been working on in recent weeks. Lance spent part of his offseason in the Dallas area with pitching coach Jeff Christensen and Christensen’s longtime client Patrick Mahomes. Christensen specializes in creating more efficient deliveries and more consistent throws. One of his former clients is Garoppolo, who has one of the fastest throwing motions in the NFL. Mahomes, of course, isn’t too shabby either, having made the Pro Bowl in each of the past five seasons. – wheelbarrows
background story
Lance backed up veteran Jimmy Garoppolo for most of his rookie season in 2021. In eight career games (four stars), he has 797 yards passing for five touchdowns and rushes for 235 yards.
San Francisco also signed veteran quarterback Sam Darnold to a one-year deal this offseason.
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(Photo: Kyle Terada/USA Today)
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