When the San Francisco 49ers decided to trade a haul of draft picks in order to move up to select Trey Lance third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, it signaled that he would be the franchise’s future at the quarterback position.
Lance spent his rookie season developing behind the scenes before finally getting his opportunity to start in the 2022 season.
However, that chance didn’t last for very long as Lance suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 that forced him to miss the rest of the year.
While he rehabbed from the ailment, the 49ers went on to make the NFC Championship Game with Brock Purdy leading the way, causing speculation as to who the team would make the starter for 2023.
Fans got their answer when it was announced that Purdy was named the starting quarterback, though were shocked when Lance was listed as the No. 3 behind Sam Darnold.
San Francisco eventually traded Lance to the Dallas Cowboys and shortly after Kyle Shanahan admitted that he had regrets about how the situation was handled via NBCSports 49ers.
“I always feel like I let Trey down,” Shanahan said.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed regret that Trey Lance didn't find success in San Francisco ?
(via @NBCS49ers) pic.twitter.com/VXiwxI13PN
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 26, 2023
Shanahan lamented putting Lance in positions to get hurt which he also acknowledged hurt his development during practice.
While it’s good to hear Shanahan take responsibility for potentially stunting Lance’s growth, the fact of the matter is that no one can predict injuries so it shouldn’t be completely his fault for how things turned out.
Regardless, both the 49ers and Lance have moved on and it was for the best.
NEXT: Robert Griffin III Sounds Off On Trey Lance Trade
