This Season Could Be the Endgame For Trey Lance on the 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers traded three first-round picks to select Trey Lance with the No. 3 pick in 2021 and still seem unsure about him.
From the moment Lance was drafted, the plan was to let him sit behind the mentorship of veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in 2021, who produced a mediocre regular season and poor postseason. After being unable to find a trade partner in the offseason, San Francisco retained Jimmy Garoppolo under a reworked deal to stay as Lance's backup.
This formula was short-lived after Trey Lance suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. Jimmy Garoppolo would go on to start until he also suffered a season-ending injury, which led to Brock Purdy's historic run to finish the season. Unfortunately for Purdy, he suffered a severe injury to his right elbow during San Francisco's second consecutive NFC Championship loss, which he is still recovering from.
With the success of Purdy both in the regular season and postseason, the 49ers are yet again in a quarterback predicament. They will enter the third year of the Trey Lance tenure without knowing who will be the franchise QB moving forward. The Niners have plenty of time to decide on Purdy, but are running out of time to decide on Lance.
Why This Could Be Trey Lance's Final Season With The 49ers
Professional sports is a business, and if Trey Lance is not in a position where he can showcase his ability on Sundays, then it could be detrimental to jumpstarting his career. Whether Lance is the answer for the 49ers or not, he doesn't have an infinite amount of time for the team to figure out what they want. In the same way, the 49ers don't have an endless amount of time for Lance to develop into the clear starter for the franchise, hopefully.
Signs indicate that Purdy is the guy for San Francisco when healthy, which is hard to argue, considering his success last season. If this is the case, the Niners better be right. Next season is Trey Lance's final year of his rookie deal, with a fifth-year option available if the 49ers choose to exercise it. The clock is ticking on the player who cost San Francisco three first-round picks.
If the 49ers don't commit to Lance this season and don't allow him to develop through the growing pains of becoming an NFL quarterback, then it becomes increasingly likely that they will never commit and, therefore, part ways. In fact, what is to stop Trey Lance and his camp from requesting a trade next offseason, which could further lower his trade value if teams knew he wanted out?
Between sitting Lance for Garoppolo and now with Purdy, who seems to have locked up the job despite still recovering from an elbow injury, it almost seems like everything would have to line up perfectly for Lance to be the starting quarterback for this team. As a player, it may be wise for Lance to request a trade if this persists so he can showcase his talents to a team who isn't afraid to play him before his next payday. It could also be wise for the 49ers to deal Lance if they aren't willing to commit to him beyond his rookie contract.
As for the 49ers, they need to figure out the quarterback position considering it seems to be the headache every season. It is the one area of the roster that the Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch Regime have been unable to figure out. Unfortunately for them, it is the most important area of any football team, and this has held them back from potential Lombardi Trophies.
Whoever gives the 49ers the best chance to win should be under center on Sundays. However, it would be a shame to see the Trey Lance investment go to waste, knowing those assets could have been used elsewhere. But it would be hard to see Lance and his representation agreeing to wait and see going into Year 4. In the same way, it seems less likely the Niners would agree to keep paying Lance to throw passes in practice.
With Nick Bosa and Brandon Aiyuk's contracts coming up, San Francisco has big decisions regarding players who have been making an impact for multiple seasons already. And if Purdy can replicate or even improve on last year's production, it will be even harder to give anyone else the starting nod at quarterback.
If history repeats itself, Purdy and Lance will start games this year. This puts the 49ers in an awkward position where they could be having a quarterback competition, all while contending for a Super Bowl. But they can't keep having the same dilemma forever and must choose one eventually.
If there was a time for Trey Lance to separate himself and win the starting job or for the 49ers to give Lance a longer leash to at least see what they have, now is that time. Or else it may be too late for both sides.
