Former NFL general manager and current media personality Michael Lombardi did not mince words on his recent podcast episode of The GM Shuffle when speaking about San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Trey Lance.
“When his mama lifted him from the crib, he just didn’t have that quarterback instinct,” said Lombardi.
The 49ers gave the Miami Dolphins a haul to move up to the No. 3 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft in order to be able to draft Lance. They traded the No. 12 overall pick, a 2022 third-round pick, and two additional first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 to the Dolphins to make Lance their quarterback of the future, or so they thought.
Since arriving in the Bay Area, Lance has struggled in limited NFL action despite having arguably the most talented rosters and best head coach in the NFL.
Lance has started just four games, with a 2-2 record. Last year, he completed less than 50 percent of his pass attempts before his season was short due to injury. Lance has been forced to miss significant chunks of time in the early part of his career due to various hand, knee, and ankle injuries.
Lance was drafted as highly as he was largely in part to his size, speed, and athleticism as a quarterback. The 6-foot-4 signal-caller weighs 224, a physical frame that was thought to be able to withstand NFL contact. However, that hasn’t been the case through two seasons. His slew of injuries opened the door for quarterbacks such as Jimmy Garoppolo and Brock Purdy to enjoy an extended stint of successful starts, leaving his future in question.
