Report: 49ers Exploring Options With Trey Lance; Sam Darnold Named the Backup
The competition at backup quarterback is officially over for the San Francisco 49ers.
Sam Darnold has reportedly been named the backup to Brock Purdy after beating out Trey Lance, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Naturally this puts Trey Lance as the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart, but that isn't a given.
Pelissero also noted that the 49ers will be exploring options with Lance, which includes trading him. Lance's fit with the 49ers became immediately clear following the first preseason game versus the Raiders. The fit was that he wasn't one any longer. He is still too raw of a player for the 49ers to put their full trust in as they push to win a Super Bowl this year.
Investing time and effort into developing him is no longer an interest of theirs. That is why they are rolling with Purdy as the starter since he is further along as a player. He's more polished.
With Darnold, the 49ers probably feel like he is the safe option because he is the more experienced player. It's not like he did anything impressive in his two preseason games, and from reports throughout training camp, he didn't sound great in the practices either. It dwindles down to him being experienced, which is something the 49ers feel trustworthy about.
Trading Lance would greatly be in his best interest. I doubt the 49ers would get any real value in return. A fifth-round pick is the highest I foresee with him, but perhaps the 49ers don't even care. The situation is possibly awkward for the two sides now, so it could be mutual interest.
