The San Francisco 49ers’ plans for the quarterback position have changed drastically over the last few years. It wasn’t very long ago that they completed a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins to move up to the No. 3 spot in the draft to select their franchise quarterback of the future.
With that pick, the 49ers selected Trey Lance out of North Dakota State. While his playing experience was a little limited, San Francisco loved the upside that Lance brought to the table with his elite athleticism.
As a rookie, Lance had a few plays installed for him each week but he was the clear backup to Jimmy Garoppolo. In 2022, the roles were reversed as Lance took over as the starter and Garoppolo was his backup. That lasted for less than six quarters as Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2.
Despite now being healthy, Lance’s status with the 49ers is as doubtful as ever. After Garoppolo was also injured, rookie Brock Purdy took over as the starter and kept things rolling. Mr. Irrelevant from the 2022 NFL Draft is expected to be the starter once he is healthy enough to play, which leaves Lance in limbo.
While his future may reside with another franchise, the feeling around the locker room about him has not changed. According to fullback Kyle Juszczyk, Lance is someone that is beloved by the team despite rumors swirling that have said otherwise.
“Trey is beloved in our locker room,” Juszczyk said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “Everybody loves Trey. The dude really does work his ass off. He’s super personable. He is a very well-liked guy. So for whatever reason that he wasn’t at the basketball game, it’s not because we don’t like him.”
That is certainly encouraging to hear as there is a chance that Lance is under center as the starter again in Week 1. He is currently taking reps along with free agent signing Sam Darnold while Purdy recovers from his elbow injury, but seemingly has the inside track to the No. 1 spot should it need to be filled.
While the 49ers are hopeful that Purdy’s elbow will be healed and ready to go by the start of the regular season, there has yet to be a concrete timetable announced for his return. Luckily for the 49ers, they can turn to Lance again for however long a starter may be needed.
