Kyle Shanahan Says Trey Lance Finally Has Recovered from a Broken Finger
A bit of insight was shared at the Dwight Clark Legacy Series event Wednesday night by San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Apparently, the finger injury that Trey Lance suffered on his throwing hand his rookie year never fully subsided. Shanahan revealed that Lance was still hindered by that finger last year and was a cause for his passing woes.
"He broke that finger and it didn’t heal right," Shanahan said. "Trey spent a whole year throwing without a bent finger, which changes everything, which shows the toughness of the kid — he never complained about it, he just tried to adjust so he could be out there. He spent a whole offseason just trying to rehab his grip so he could throw normal."
This explains a lot. Lance did not have an impressive training camp last year. Much of that was made about him facing an elite defense in practice along with the growing pains of developing. While that is true, it looks to have been to a certain degree. Having an injured finger on his throwing hand plays a large role. It makes it difficult for Lance to find consistency and that was his issue last year -- consistency.
Lance had made it seem like the finger was no longer an issue last year when he was asked about, but it seems he kept that one close to the chest. Perhaps, he did not want to make excuses and tried to gut it out. With this news, you have to wonder if he is finally fit with his finger. This takes precedent over how he will fare coming off a broken ankle. No need to fret as Shanahan made it clear that Lance is in "such a better place" with his finger.
I don't think Shanahan is exaggerating either. The viral video of Trey Lance showcasing a singular throw in early April looked as if he had improved his throwing motion. Well, with Shanahan dropping this bit of news, it is more or less that Lance is simply healthy now and can throw with great fluidity now.
More shall be revealed when the 49ers kick off OTAs on May 22.
