Ex-NFL player shares troubling Trey Lance assessment

Dec 19, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (5) smiles after defeating the Atlanta Falcons at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Trey Lance has yet to have a real opportunity to show what he can do in the NFL, but there is no shortage of opinions about the San Francisco 49ers quarterback. Emmanuel Acho is among those who are not expecting great things from Lance.

Acho, a former NFL linebacker who works as an analyst for FOX Sports, was critical of Lance this week during a segment in which he and fellow ex-NFL star Marcellus Wiley shared their thoughts on second-year quarterbacks. Acho graded Lance a 2 out of 10 and said that was his way of “being nice.”

“From everything I’ve heard from people within the locker room, and outside the locker room, he just ain’t it. He just ain’t got it,” Acho said. “There’s a reason they call him ‘one play Trey’ and a reason he only started one game. The Niners chose to play Jimmy Garoppolo with a broken thumb over their top-three first-round pick. There’s a reason for that.”

Wiley gave Lance a 5 out of 10 but said he has heard the same concerns as Acho. The former defensive end believes in Lance’s talent more than his colleague.

Lance was viewed as a raw prospect when the Niners drafted him last year. He played in just 19 games for North Dakota State, so his stock was high based mostly on pure talent. There is no real way of knowing what type of NFL starter he will be until the job is his.

Most rookies are inconsistent, and Lance also dealt with a significant injury last season. If his own teammates and coaches are down on him, that is an obvious concern. Our guess is some of that talk is a bit overblown.