Trey Lance has insisted that he is happy at the San Francisco 49ers amid rumours that he could be traded.
Lance has been with the 49ers since he was drafted with the number three overall pick back in 2021. However, he is still yet to enjoy a long run as the team’s starting quarterback.
Jimmy Garoppolo had been the starting QB up until his ankle injury last season. It was at that point when Brock Purdy stepped in to be the star for the 49ers, and helped them reach the NFC Championship game.
Now that Garoppolo has left the Levi’s Stadium, there is continued uncertainty around the quarterback spot. This intensified when the 49ers signed Sam Darnold on a one-year deal back in March, after he left the Carolina Panthers.
That leaves Lance, Purdy and Darnold as the three players fighting for the quarterback spot in the 49ers’ offence. But the arrival of Darnold led to some suggestions that Lance could even be traded, with Purdy impressing before his injury.
However, that does not seem to be the case, with Lance relishing the chance to prove himself in San Francisco. The 23-year-old has only played eight games since he was drafted more than two years ago, but despite this he is excited about the future with the franchise.
“I knew where I wanted to be. I just want an opportunity to compete,” Lance told the Mercury News . “I love it here. I love the coaching staff. I love working with Griese and Klay and now Klint as well. Love the quarterback room, love the guys in the locker room,” Lance continued. “No doubt for me, this is absolutely where I want to be.”
Lance will be competing with Purdy and Darnold for the QB spot next season. In the case of Purdy, he is in the latter stages of his recovery from a serious elbow injury that he suffered in the NFC Championship game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Purdy needed to undergo surgery to be able to recover, but is now back in practise during the 49ers organised team activities (OTA). Head coach Kyle Shanahan said last week that Purdy was building up his recovery but will need time in order to get back to his best.
"It’s not really that it’s a moving target, it’s that only God knows and it’s all estimates,” said Shanahan last week . “So, it depends on what ‘people’ have got for me. But I mean, we’re hoping for Week One and feeling pretty optimistic about that. That’s what we’re hoping for, he’ll be ready to play in Week One.
“And usually that doesn’t mean that’s the day he comes back — usually you’ve got to come before that to make that goal. And that’s kind of the goal we’re hoping for and don’t have any reason to think differently.”
It seems then that Shanahan and the 49ers are planning to have Purdy back available for their Week One opener. As the summer goes on it will become more clear over which player is at the top of the QB pecking order.
With the arrival of Darnold and the ability of Darnold, Lance will have a tough challenge to be able to establish himself as a contender to be the 49ers starting QB. But the 23-year-old remains determined to have a future in San Francisco in the long-term.
