Trey Lance: New start in Dallas, but why did it go so wrong with the 49ers?
It has been a difficult, turbulent start to life as an NFL player for Trey Lance.
Despite having been drafted to be the future of the San Francisco 49ers at quarterback just a couple of seasons ago, the former North Dakota State Bison finds himself having been traded to the Dallas Cowboys for just a fraction of the price it cost to bring him into the league in the first place.
San Fran traded three first-round picks to the Miami Dolphins back in 2021 to trade up from 12th overall to number three in order to be in a position to select Lance, but the Cowboys are parting with just a fourth rounder in 2024 in return.
Many saw Lance and the Niners as a perfect match in 2021. But with the pressure of having traded up to take the player, and the expectation of him being able to go right from the off, ultimately proved to be too much.
Injuries cost Lance dearly
In just two years as a pro, Lance has been constantly plagued with injuries, which have ultimately cost him his career in San Francisco. He entered the 2021 NFL Draft process with soreness in his arm which caused issues with his accuracy and motion, before fracturing a finger on his throwing hand that preseason. All-in-all, fitness issues had a profound impact on his development as a rookie.
Having been installed as the starter in 2022 for the 49ers, Lance got off to a horrible opening, losing the season opener in torrid conditions against the Chicago Bears, before tragically suffering a season ending ankle fracture in the fixture against the Seattle Seahawks, just the second game of 2022, which required multiple surgeries and ultimately ended his year.
Lance played in just eight NFL games for the 49ers before being traded. That’s the fewest played by a top five selection with the team he debuted with since the start of the common draft era in 1967. While he deserved time to develop, San Francisco couldn’t afford to wait any longer.
Where do the 49ers go from here?
Of course, this is a trade that will sting for a while. One, because of the amount the 49ers gave up to draft Lance. Two, because the 2021 NFL Draft class was stacked with talent in the top 15-20 picks, and three, and most importantly, because San Francisco’s search for franchise QB now has to continue to go on.
In place of Lance, and subsequently his replacement Jimmy Garoppolo, Brock Purdy stepped into the limelight and did very well. The last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft stepped up and took his opportunity last year, becoming the talk of the NFL world with some impressive performances in his eight starts as he helped the Niners return to the NFC Championship game.
Purdy is the QB1 going into the new season, but even in Kyle Shanahan’s proclaimed ‘fool-proof’ system for quarterbacks, there are doubts over his fitness, and ultimately his ceiling as a player. ‘Mr Irrelevant’ has certainly earned the right to be the leader of this team, but how far will he take San Francisco? Only time will tell.
The Niners have also brought in Sam Darnold, another former third overall pick, who was offloaded from the New York Jets to the Carolina Panthers in 2021. Darnold beat Lance to the backup spot this season, leading the former Bison to head for the exit.
As Ethan Ball stated in his recent piece on the QB conundrum in San Francisco, the worst case scenario, in the battle to decide who hold the keys to the franchise, is that there is no clear winner. The Niners clearly feel that Lance isn’t the way forward, and the best outcome for both parties at this stage is to part ways.
At 23, Lance still has his whole career ahead of him. The Cowboys have presented a perfect opportunity to develop in a new setting with minimal pressure, which should give him some confidence and help his progression. Let’s hope he’s able to salvage something for himself in Dallas.
