The San Francisco 49ers have three quarterbacks on their roster, but no trade market for third-year pro Trey Lance whatsover.
Despite being the former No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, nobody outside of the San Francisco 49ers wants the third-year pro quarterback that is Trey Lance.
I hated the pick when they made it, so once again the dynamic tandem of John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan aren't incapable of making GOB Bluth huge mistakes on the reg. Conversely, they seem to have stuck gold with "Mr. Irrelevant" Brock Purdy. Unfortunately, his arm is busted, and Sam Darnold is not the answer to anything good on the football field anymore. Purdy must get healthy.
While appearing on The Pat McAfee Show last week, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that there is no trade market for Lance. This comes as quite a shock! Not really, but you would think some other quarterback-desperate team would want the former North Dakota State star who had that one great year before COVID at the FCS level on their roster. San Francisco is left holding the bag.
I understand that Shanahan is a quarterback whisperer, but I am shorting the 49ers this season.
NFL rumors: San Francisco 49ers QB Trey Lance has no trade market whatsoever
Look. Just because I don't think the 2023 49ers are going to win the Super Bowl doesn't mean they can't win the division and be really good. Purdy is not a one-year wonder, as I watched him play great football for four years at Iowa State previously. If he is healthy and his teammates buy into him again, then by all means, I will stand corrected. San Francisco could win Super Bowl No. 6.
However, the fact Lance never seemed to have command of the 49ers offense at any point two years into the most quarterback-friendly system known to mankind is very concerning. Raw and dripping with potential, eventually that potential needs to bare fruit. Lance's learning curve was always going to be steep, but everybody and their brother with a brain saw this coming in 2021…
Could Darnold play up to his overrated USC potential in Shanahan's system? Sure, but the New York Jets and the Carolina Panthers did a number on him. When you have had to take orders from Clay Helton, Adam Gase and Matt Rhule in succession, I would not be shocked if you start questioning everything in your reality. He's not Syd Barrett, but he's not leading Pink Floyd either…
Overall, San Francisco will benefit from playing in a division on the downturn and in a conference that is still a year away from being a year away. The Arizona Cardinals could be the worst team in football. Who knows what the Los Angeles Rams will be this year? As for the Seattle Seahawks, they are pretty solid, but you'd be lying to yourself if they were any better than a top-eight team.
Ultimately, we've been presented problems and offered no solutions with Lance on the 49ers roster the last two years. Yes, there was a glimmer of hope, but he got hurt well before it was even sweater weather. Could he find success in the league elsewhere? Sure, why not? He may play in quarterback paradise today, but he is not beating out Darnold and definitely not Purdy in fall camp.
Plenty of NFL general managers may have been born at night, but none were born last night…
