The news that Sam Darnold beat out Trey Lance for the backup quarterback job in San Francisco seemed to spell the end of the latter’s time with the 49ers. That may still end up being the case, but at least for now the team’s top decision-makers are exuding confidence in his future in the Bay Area. 
The 49ers are prepared to proceed with Brock Purdy and Darnold atop the QB depth chart, and they are willing to entertain trade offers on Lance. The former No. 3 pick came at an enormous cost with respect to moving up in the 2021 draft, and any deal they agree to will bring back a far smaller return. Interest will be difficult to gauge on the 23-year-old given his extremely limited NFL experience. It is not a guarantee the latest round of trade talks will result in Lance finding a new home.
“I think [Lance staying is] the most likely option,” general manager John Lynch said during an appearance on KNBR aimed at addressing the situation. “As I said, we’re very happy with Trey. That’s probably the most likely option: That he’s here. If we could find a landing spot for Trey that is a really good one for him and works for our organization, that’s not something we’d turn a blind eye to.
“But that’s not where our focus is right now… There’s viable options for all players. But right now, Trey’s a part of our team and we’re going to move forward with that in mind” (h/t Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle).
Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that a trade allowing Lance a fresh start is something the 49ers – who have denied reports he was being shopped around the draft – would be open to if mutual interest existed to pull one off. Both Lynch and Shanahan declined to give a firm answer one way or another, however, if the North Dakota State product has asked to be moved. Lance publicly stated his intention to remain in San Francisco in May, but that was long before he learned he will begin 2023 as a third-stringer after heading into the 2022 campaign as the team’s undisputed starter.
Lynch added Lance is scheduled to take part in the 49ers’ preseason finale, coming into the game after both Purdy and Darnold have received their respective reps. That will give Lance one final opportunity to boost his stock with his current team, or showcase himself for an interested team looking to end his roller-coaster tenure in San Francisco.
Most likely no other team wants to waste resources acquiring the biggest bust in NFL history. Why would any team offer anything more than a 7th round pick for him? He flashed in college but it did not translate well in the NFL.
You said it brother !! Santa Clara 49hers should be ashamed ! Biggest busy in NFL History and worst trade in league history. If the Santa Clara 49hers weren’t primed to be a playoff contender then there would be a major front office shakeup. But Shananhheehehehe keeps her job for now.
Recency bias at its best. Lance is far from the biggest bust in NFL history and there has been numerous trades much worse than this one. Not a fan of Lance, but your clearly too young to know better…
This is top 5 there’s no trophy for that unless you’re winning lombardis
Jamarcus Russel comes to mind immediately
Hey, Taco … The 1950s called and want you back to a time when feminizing men was funny.
2023 called and they want you to stop being a keyboard warrior and saying things to someone you’d never have the courage to say to their face. What a loser
Not really. We got what we wanted, a franchise qb so we just swapped a 1st round bust for the biggest steal in NFL draft history
Wouldn’t be too quick to call Brock Purdy a franchise quarterback
Biggest steal in NFL draft history?
Tom Brady holding on line 1
Purdy played solid for a few games but good lord it’s hilarious how great people think he is
Ryan Leaf and JaMarcus Russell would like a word
JaMarcus Russell was the Oakland Raiders pick, I do not believe they traded anything to select him. He was a total bust but he did not cost the team additional picks. Therefore I do not consider him the biggest bust in history.
The Ryan Leaf trade between the San Diego Charges and the Arizona Cardinals was the biggest in my opinion until the Lance deal came around. Leaf was horrible, I cannot believe some scouts thought he had a higher ceiling than Peyton Manning predraft.
Just remember guys like A. Rodgers and S. Young didn’t play for yrs because of the QB’s they had ahead of them and now let’s see what happens to J. Love with Rodgers gone
Teams like the Lions,Saints, and Titans should trade for him let him sit this yr as the #3 to learn that teams playbook and see what u have none of those teams really have a QB for the future with their starters being FA soon
Rodgers and Young had hall of famers in front of them. Lance can’t beat out Sam Darnold, on a team with a coach who has a good record with qb’s. I mean, sure, maybe he will develop over time, but it’s not looking good so far.
He cant beat out Sam Darnold who was a first round pick in his own right, and finally has an offensive kind around him who doesnt have his head up his ass. Also, Lance was deemed a project from the outset who played in a lesser conference while Darnold played at USC, meaning he had an edge on Lance just coming out of college nevermind the extra years in the league.
So you’re saying he’s got a chance, I respect that. Geno just found himself last year so Trey just needs to sit and learn for a few more years. I can dig it, still gave up an awful lot for the guy.
The Lions don’t need anymore QB’s in house. They already have 4 plus a pup. Goff, Bridgewater, Sudfeld, Martinez, Hooker. Trey Lance may have had potential, but he hasn’t played to a point where he would be ahead of any of those 4.
He would clearly be ahead if Sudfeld and likely Martinez… Bridgewater makes a fine #2 and Hooker has nice potential…. That said – no need for Lance.
JaMarcus Russell was also the 1st overall pick. Lance may have been a bigger waste of assets, but that doesn’t mean he was a bigger bust.
Technically speaking, an argument could be made that Joe Namath was the biggest NFL bust. He didn’t play a snap for the Cardinals who drafted him but he did pretty well in that rival league.
Nonsense. Namath played eight seasons in the NFL for the Jets and Rams after the merger in 1970.
He was the first overall pick, he never amounted to anything. Washed out in under 2 years. Lance still has a chance to have a decent career. No way in hell Lance is a bigger bust than Russell or Leaf.
Darnold blossoms under a real offensive situation for him versus his previous gigs probably threw a wrench into Lance’s upward mobility path more than Lance’s development pace
Darnold beat Lance because he’s closer to Purdy style wise. You want your backup to be similar to the starter, otherwise the playbook get altered too much. You want the QB to run the same plays regardless of who is playing, so the rest of the team doesn’t suffer.
I don’t know which word gets thrown out more often and more ignorantly between bust and goat.
Goat certainly does, as there should only be one “greatest” while there’s no limit to how many busts are created with every draft.
Niners haven’t had a QB stay healthy all year since Jimmy took them to the super bowl. Part of that is Jimmy being made of glass, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Trey ends up starting 5 or 6 games this year as a 3rd string QB.
Since Shanahan has been coaching, Garoppolo numerous times, the whole SF QB room last year, RG III, and some of his QBs in Cleveland have gotten hurt on his watch. Is this all just bad luck, or is it past time to wonder if his system gets QBs hurt. Because it happens a lot.
1)RG3 had previously tore his right acl while in college.
2)garoppolo couldnt even make the 4 starts in replace of a suspended Brady without getting hurt, long before he was acquired by Shanahan.
3)its Weird how you didnt bring up how the statue in Atlanta didnt get hurt under his watch
He doesn’t ask his QBs to be overly physical. Seems like making a bunch of quick passes of 10 yards or less, which is Shanahan’s whole offense, would actually keep a QB healthy.
He has less than 600 snaps in his whole career including preseason since high school. I think the problem with what they’re doing is that Darnold is known trash. So a guy who needs reps isn’t going to be given reps for a player who failed three coaching staffs already, and they’re trying to spin that as the way to go, lol. Okay. Maybe he can’t play, but I’d make sure of it before I go grab a guy who everybody already knows can’t play from a few other stops. The 49ers signed Darnold though and basically gave him the backup job despite the lip service similar to how Tampa signed Mayfeild with the intention of him being their starter. They should have just said that from the start instead of holding these farcical “competitions.”
SF has been extremely overrated for the past couple years. They had a good chance to beat the Rams in the NFC Championship but Shanahan did not have the stones to go for it on 4th down and he gave the Rams the game. Before that they basically did nothing in the game against Green Bay but the Packers just lost it on a special teams botch.
Last year they could have brought in a solid backup but they went with Josh Johnson because he “knew the system.” Lot of good that did them. If the 9ers brass would have brought in a guy like Rivers and maybe even Newton they may have had a chance in that game. I get those guys aren’t what they were but Josh Johnson is an XFL QB if your lucky.
The Lance trade shows a lot of ineptitude because it’s clear they moved up in that draft not knowing who they would take. It’s clear from Lynch’s comments he is blaming Shanahan for not making an offense custom fit to Lance.
I think there is a clear divide now between Lynch and Shanahan. I don’t think Kyle will like those comments and we know he did not like the Lance draft pick. Truth is that decision falls on Lynch squarely. If you watched Lance play he doesn’t do anything well. He is extremely slow on his reads, he’s indecisive, throws a fluttering ball and isn’t even that fast with his legs.
If Purdy has a regression this year, which is a real possibility, the 49ers are going to be in major trouble. I recognize the division is not particularly strong and that may keep SF in the race but I could see this being a subpar year for them. In reality I could see this being the beginning of the end. This team may have died in Philly when Purdy went down.
Your favorite Super League team can only wish it was as well run as the 49ers. Given what happened to San Francisco in the NFC Championship game, Lynch must know what he’s talking about.
Great pick trading up for him and paying a heavy price. They obviously over rated him
A lot of it is luck. The same team that made that trade is the one that picked their starter the following year with the very last pick of the draft.
Lynch “we’ll hold on to him”, aka “we gave up 3 first rounders for this stuff and the best offer we got was a 7th rounder”…
This is an organizational failure of epic proportions
Woody Allen knew how to describe situations like this perfectly…link to youtube.com
Most likely to stay in SF.. unless a team wants to trade a 4th rd pick for him lol.
Rarely believe what GMs and Head Coaches say….
I don’t enjoy becoming more cynical as I get older but it’s comforting to know I’m not alone.