It was announced yesterday that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold will be listed as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart behind Brock Purdy. This now puts their former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance’s future with the team in question.
49ers All-Pro linebacker and defensive leader Fred Warner spoke with reporters not too long after the announcement was made. He was asked to speak on the matter and had this to say:
"Love Trey. I don't know what's going on with him or what's going to be next."
Fred Warner comments on the latest 49ers QB news pic.twitter.com/OFvyJoByIU
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) August 23, 2023
Warner seems to be just as out of the loop as the rest of us. He noticed Lance wasn’t at practice and began asking around himself but to no avail.
The 49ers traded three first-round picks and a third-round pick for the right to move up in the draft and select Lance in the 2021 NFL Draft. Since then, he’s started in just four NFL games.
The lack of NFL experience through his first two seasons as a pro can be attributed to a couple of things. First, it was head coach Kyle Shanahan’s relationship with former 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Shanahan’s trust in Garoppolo gave him a longer leash as the starter despite the No. 3 pick lurking in the shadows.
When Lance finally got his shot in 2022, he fractured and dislocated his ankle in Week 2 of the season, forcing him to miss the remainder of the year. Lance’s injury opened the door for Garoppolo to start 10 games in 2022 before he ultimately got injured as well.
In comes Brock Purdy, also known as “Mr. Irrelevant.” Drafted with the last pick of the same draft class as Lance, Purdy stepped up and seized control of the 49ers’ starting quarterback job. He went 5-0 in his five regular-season starts and led the team to the NFC Championship.
Now, the team has seemingly committed to Purdy following his impressive yet surprising run, which puts Lance’s standing with the team in question. Could he be traded?
