Two years ago, the San Francisco 49ers traded significant draft capital to move up and select Trey Lance with the No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft. Their opinion of him has clearly changed now based on some new details out of the team’s minicamp.
In an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that the 49ers had not found any trade market for Lance, and that the former top pick is, for the moment, most likely to be No. 3 on the depth chart when the season starts.
"There was no trade market for Trey Lance and the 49ers didn't have any trade talks with teams..
Brock Purdy if he's healthy is the number one and my guess going into camp is that Sam Darnold has the edge to be number two"@AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/pIjNIx3RiF
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 21, 2023
“There was no trade market and Kyle Shanahan has said that they didn’t have any trade talks with teams. He’s not going anywhere right now,” Schefter said of Lance. “Sam Darnold signed with the 49ers on the first day of free agency … that tells you that the team really liked that guy, and they really did like Sam Darnold. Let’s also be very clear that Brock Purdy, if he’s healthy, he’s the guy, he’s the starting quarterback, he’s the No. 1. If he’s not, if for some reason he can’t go, we’ll see how Darnold and Trey Lance do in camp this summer. My guess would be Darnold has a chance to really shine and excel.”
Those around Lance maintain that he has made significant strides during the offseason as he works his way back from a fractured ankle. The 49ers see him behind closed doors, however, and appear less convinced than ever by him. If the team thinks Darnold is a better option despite accomplishing very little of note during his career so far, that is not a good sign for Lance.
Lance did get some looks during OTAs, but it sounds like that might wind up being temporary. It’s tough to see where the former first-round pick goes from here.
