Trey Lance is back to the “patience” box.
Surely that wasn’t what the 49ers intended when they selected Trey Lance in third place in the 2021 Draft.
Lance got hurt. Jimmy Garoppolo got injured and left. Brock Purdy took over. And he keeps his hand.
Asked about the duel for the position between Lance and Purdy, John Lynch admitted that it is the latter who keeps the number one label for the moment.
“The way he played, I think Brock has earned the right to be seen as the leader in this race,” the manager told ESPN on Monday. “I let Kyle (Shanahan) make those kinds of decisions, but I know when we talk about it, Brock has probably earned the right to be number one. If we had to play, he’d probably take the first snap.
Purdy led the 49ers to a 7-1 record last season.
The competition is launched
The catch is that Purdy had elbow surgery in the offseason. If all goes well, he should be ready for the upcoming season.
“Hopefully he’ll be ready to play for training camps,” Lynch explained.
Yes, but what about Lance in the future, who cost the franchise so much?
“We like the idea of having Trey on our team right now,” Lynch told ESPN. « Kyle [Shanahan] and I always joke that we would trade if someone offered enough. So we’re listening, but we love having Trey on our team. »
And too bad if he stays on the bench.“We’ve always said we don’t give a damn about where you were drafted. That’s what we think. (…) We are always very excited about what Trey can bring, but I think the way he played, Trey probably earned the right to be number one. But it’s obviously a competition. It will always be the case. »
A competition in which Lance will have the opportunity to get a little ahead. He should be recovered from his ankle injury to participate in spring training, alongside newly recruited Sam Darnold.
