Did the 49ers Mismanage the Beginning of Trey Lance's Career?

Trey Lance and Jim Harbaugh just made the 49ers look bad.

Lance threw for 120 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a passer rating of 114.6 in his preseason debut with the Chargers on Thursday. He looked just like the quarterback the 49ers expected him to become when they traded up to draft him.

Remember, Lance was the 49ers' starting quarterback until he broke his ankle, got replaced by Brock Purdy, and got traded to the Cowboys, who eventually gave up on Lance as well. And Harbaugh was the 49ers' head coach for four seasons until they forced him out in 2014. Now, Harbaugh is showing the 49ers that they may have mismanaged the beginning of Lance's career, and that his struggles were their fault, not his.

LA Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh celebrates a touchdown against Detroit Lions during the first half of the Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio on Thursday, July 31, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Vindication for Trey Lance

At North Dakota State, Lance played under center in a pro-style offense. When the 49ers spent three first-round picks plus a third on Lance, one assumed that they would use Lance the way he was used in college, which was under center, throwing play-action passes while rolling out, and scrambling when necessary.

If they wanted a true dual-threat quarterback to run the zone-read, they could have drafted Justin Fields, who had tons of experience running that play and is much faster than Lance.

Instead, they drafted Lance and used him like he's Fields. Put him in the pistol and the shotgun and made him run between the tackles until he eventually broke his ankle.

September 18, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (5) is carted off the field after an injury against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

How Jim Harbaugh uses Trey Lance

During Lance's first preseason game with the Chargers, he was under center most of the time. His first two pass attempts came off play action when he was rolling to his right. Harbaugh did not call any designed runs for him because he's not that kind of quarterback. He wants to throw.

Harbaugh also called lots of handoffs for Lance so he could settle into the game. Kyle Shanahan often would call passes almost exclusively for Lance in the preseason, and Lance would press and struggle. He never smiled on the 49ers. He seemed depressed.

Last night, he smiled. He threw with touch. He protected the football. He managed the game. All the things the 49ers thought he couldn't or wouldn't do.

Jul 31, 2025; Canton, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Trey Lance (5) looks to pass against the Detroit Lions in the first quarter at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Too bad they gave up so much to get him and then got rid of him for a mere fourth-rounder. I'm not saying he's better than Brock Purdy, but he's a whole lot better than the 49ers ever gave him credit for. And if he eventually turns around his career and becomes a solid starting quarterback like Alex Smith once upon a time or Sam Darnold more recently, the 49ers will look foolish.

Vindication for Trey Lance

How Jim Harbaugh uses Trey Lance

Read more