It’s no secret that the San Francisco 49ers have high expectations for quarterback Trey Lance, who is coming off a rookie season in which he didn’t play a ton but showed glimpses of who he could become.
He has a couple of unique talents, but naturally, there are questions about whether he will pan out, mostly because no one has seen him play much at the National Football League level yet.
Perhaps Lance will become a superstar QB, but if it happens, no one knows how long it will take him.
What are some reasonable expectations for him this upcoming season?
Lance Is An Exciting Prospect
With 49ers starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo injury-prone as usual, Lance got the opportunity to start two contests this past season.
In his first start, which took place in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals, he was somewhat shaky, throwing for 192 yards but completing just 15-of-29 of his passes with one interception and no touchdowns.
His second start came in Week 17 versus the Houston Texans, and he looked more comfortable, going 16-of-23 for 249 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a 23-7 win.
His arm strength is undeniable, and he can also gain yardage with his legs.
At 6-foot-4 and over 220 pounds, he can see over the defense and connect on long passes downfield.
“Trey Lance has a noodle arm” pic.twitter.com/JOOUbLhpmb
— #Alex (@SadNinersFan_) March 25, 2022
Lance also got some spot duty in two other regular-season games. In the season opener against the Detroit Lions, he started his NFL career on an auspicious note by striking gold on his very first pass attempt.
“Trey Lance will never throw a TD pass in the NFL”
What other QB is throwing a TD on the first pass attempt of his career? pic.twitter.com/dZZZ0zLkMX
— #Alex (@SadNinersFan_) March 25, 2022
Head coach Kyle Shanahan employs a run-heavy offense, which may help take a little bit of pressure off Lance, as well as exploit his ability to move the chains by himself.
He has also three high-level weapons in All-Pro First-Team wide receiver Deebo Samuel, as well as Brandon Aiyuk and Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle to help him build confidence and trust.
Lance Will Go Through Growing Pains
Growing pains are inevitable for every young QB, and Lance will no doubt have some.
Once he becomes a full-time starter, whenever that is, he will surely have some games in which he doesn’t play well and the 49ers lose.
When it happens, the Niners’ large fan base will start to doubt him and fill up social media outlets with indictments of him and his supposed flaws.
Lance will have to ignore the noise and continue to work on his craft while not allowing his shortcomings to go to his head.
One concern is that overall, he is inexperienced.
After red shirting in his freshman year of college, he had an outstanding sophomore season, throwing for 2,786 yards and 28 touchdowns while completing 66.9 percent of his passes and throwing no interceptions.
He also added 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground.
In all, Lance led North Dakota State University to the NCAA Division I Football Championship while being named the MVP of the title game.
But the following season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and afterward he decided to not play any more college games in order to get ready for the NFL draft.
Bottom line: Lance needs to be on the field in order to develop into whatever he can become.
Will Lance Even Start?
The million-dollar question in the Bay Area is whether Lance will be under center this coming season, or if Garoppolo will still occupy that spot.
The Niners haven’t traded him yet, and with each passing day, it seems less likely they will.
The fact that Garoppolo reportedly had shoulder surgery and can’t perform any football activities for several weeks is probably making it more difficult for San Francisco to find a trade partner.
Even if he is still the team’s starter, his tendency to get injured means there is a good chance Lance will start at least one game in 2022, and the 49ers will at least be able to gradually break him in without putting too much on his shoulders too early.
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