Trey Lance’s NFL career lasted 180 minutes this week, and no one knows the feeling quite like 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold.
The 49ers went from the man who was supposed to be their team’s starting quarterback by trading Lance to the Dallas Cowboys on Friday for a 2024 fourth-round draft pick. A few hours later, Darnold took stock.
“I haven’t had a chance to talk to him yet, since he was traded,” Darnold said after the 49ers’ preseason finale Friday night. “He’s a great guy. He was a darling in the locker room. He was all of those things. He was a great teammate, even with me coming here and competing and doing all that stuff. Even since OTAs, he’s been nothing but great to me.” .I appreciated it a ton.”
Selected No. 3 overall by the New York Jets in 2018, Darnold knows the pressure that comes with being a top-level draft pick, especially as a quarterback. After three seasons with the Jets, he was traded to the Carolina Panthers for second, fourth, and sixth round picks.
Those first five seasons of Darnold’s NFL journey did not live up to his expectations, and his teams went 21-34 in his starts. He was named a backup to Baker Mayfield in 2022 and prepared to become a free agent the following season for the first time in his career.
The 26-year-old signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract in March to join the 49ers’ quarterback and swing room QB, with a real chance to compete for the backup job. Five months later, he got it and was named the official No. 2 pick, leaving Lance in the dust and packing his bags for Dallas.
Lance will now have a fresh start with the Cowboys, similar to Darnold’s new opportunity in the Bay. While the veteran midfielder didn’t get a chance to speak to Lance on Friday, he did share some advice for the young midfielder as he begins his new journey.
“It’s just putting one foot in front of the other and taking it day in and day out,” Darnold said. “Obviously, going in there, I know he’s going to take any opportunity that comes his way. He’s going to dive into this playbook and put it down.
“So it’s actually a what’s next mentality in terms of trying to put the rules of play aside. You don’t really have time to think about any other things than football.”
Lance’s career with the 49ers came to an unfortunate end, but at just 23 years old, his future in the NFL still isn’t written.
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