Former NFL executive and current analyst Michael Lombardi raised some eyebrows this week when he delivered a jab at Trey Lance, saying, “When his momma lifted him up from the crib, he didn't have that QB instinct.”
Aside from the racial undertones from Lombardi, longtime sports media personality Bomani Jones fundamentally disagrees with the take.
Jones joined 95.7 The Game’s “The Morning Roast” Wednesday with hosts Bonta Hill and Joe Shasky to explain why Lombardi is in the wrong.
“Part of it is a little bit small – and it was the fact that he used the word ‘momma,’” Jones said. “It seemed like an unnecessary affectation that I don’t think he uses if he’s talking about Sam Darnold, for example. …I don’t really understand what in the world he’s talking about, No. 1. No. 2, I don’t know how you can be so sure about somebody, when the sample size that we’re dealing with is so small. The whole thing with everything that’s around Lance that I just find so confusing, is that the talent is obvious and so many people are willing to bail on him, based on a small sample size, to jump on board with a dude that’s far less talented and also dealing with a pretty small sample size.”
Through his first two NFL seasons, Lance has appeared in eight games but started just four of them, going 1-2 in the three games he has fully played. Lance has compiled a 54.9 percent completion percentage with six total touchdowns and three interceptions, but his bid to be franchise quarterback was cut short in Week 2 last year with a foot/ankle injury.
Brock Purdy, meanwhile, took over for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 13 last year and guided the 49ers to eight straight wins before going down with an elbow injury in the NFC title game. So far, Purdy has compiled a 66.5 percent completion percentage with 17 total touchdowns and four picks.
Lance has the measurables, but Purdy has the stats. Despite the disparity in production, Jones is still putting a lot of weight into each of the young player’s draft positions.
The 49ers, of course, used three first-round picks and a third-rounder to move up from No. 12 to No. 3 in the 2021 Draft to take Lance. Last year, the Niners made Purdy Mr. Irrelevant with the final pick in the draft at No. 262 overall.
“Everybody is ready to bail for the last pick in the draft,” Bomani said. “I know that things went well last season. I don’t want to ignore what Purdy managed to do. But I still have never seen a team or a fan base or anything so willing to bail on something that could be potentially very, very good.”
Taking a step back, Jones also thinks that coach Kyle Shanahan should be questioned when it comes to his selection and development of QBs.
“I don’t understand anything when it comes to Kyle Shanahan and how he views quarterbacks,” Jones said. “He gets to slide for the fact that they passed up on Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson – before we knew this other stuff – to take Solomon Thomas. Because, ‘We’ll just go get Kirk Cousins.’ And then you end up getting Jimmy Garoppolo, who was the ceiling that prevented you to win a Super Bowl.”
