Did the 49ers Ever Truly Want Trey Lance in the First Place?

I'm guessing Kyle Shanahan always wanted Jones but was told by the organization that he wasn't an option.

Aug 19, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (5) signals during the third quarter against the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Four years later, it's still hard to believe the 49ers spent three first-round picks plus a third on Trey Lance just to get rid of him after four starts. That really happened.

In retrospect, it almost seems like the 49ers never wanted him. And maybe they didn't. Let's go back and reexamine how the 49ers got him.

Remember, when the 49ers first traded up for the No. 3 pick, NFL Insiders reported that the 49ers were targeting Mac Jones. This news outraged lots of 49ers fans who saw Mac Jones as the same type of quarterback the 49ers were trying to replace -- Jimmy Garoppolo. Many fans wanted a different type of quarterback, one more like Josh Allen.

And so, at the last minute, the 49ers seemed to change their minds and take Lance. And now, this offseason when both Lance and Jones were free agents, the 49ers signed Jones, not Lance. He went to the Chargers to work with Jim Harbaugh. It's almost as though the 49ers signed the quarterback they wanted all along.

I'm guessing Shanahan always wanted Jones but was told by the organization that he wasn't an option, so he reluctantly took Lance instead. Lance was a project Shanahan didn't want to take on. His heart wasn't in it. He merely wanted a quarterback who fits his system, and that's Jones.

So, good for Jones for finally finding his way to a coach who likes him. And the same goes for Lance. It's too bad he had to waste the first four seasons of his career with coaches who had no vision for him.