Per annual tradition, the 49ers quarterback situation will be garnering a lot of attention this summer.
While we wait for the swelling in Brock Purdy’s elbow to go down so he can get surgery, Trey Lance is expected to run and do dropbacks this weekend as he returns from a season-ending foot/ankle injury. Are the 49ers prepared to go through some growing pains with Lance?
Jason Aponte joined Brian Renick on the latest episode of the 49ers Web Zone “No Huddle” podcast to share his thoughts on how Lance has progressed since being taken No. 3 overall in 2021.
“My biggest criticism of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch and this organization, who have done an incredible job of building a top-3 roster in the NFL – did miss the mark in terms of how much Trey Lance in terms of development, while trying to balance a win-now balance,” Aponte said. “I don’t like this situation for Trey. I think they miscalculated what they could do. These last two years played out the way that it did – you’re never excited about an injury, but if Trey Lance plays the entire year, you probably don’t win as many games and don’t make it as far as you do this past year.”
Lance essentially played 10 quarters of meaningful football his rookie year, with two starts. He lasted five quarters last season before suffering his injury on a designed run play. Jimmy Garoppolo made the next 10 starts before Brock Purdy’s miraculous 7-1 run to end the year. The 49ers finished the regular season with 10 straight victories and a 13-4 record as the No. 2 seed.
Around the league, the narrative on the 2021 draft class of quarterbacks changed throughout the year, while Lance remains a relative unknown.
“If we were going through the draft process and you went through the first year, you would say Mac Jones clears everybody,” Aponte said. “But here we are after that year, Mac Jones is kinda settling to where he is. Trevor Lawrence looks like that guy, because, guess what – he got good coaching and he has a bunch of people. Zach Wilson has completely become a person where nobody wants anything. And Justin Fields at least flashed some of that athletic ability that you’ve seen when you move the offense towards him. I just don’t think Trey Lance has been afforded those same sort of chances that those guys have. I feel bad for him.”
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