Getty Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has reached the point of his career where he can begin mentoring some of the younger talent that comes into the league if he so chooses to do so. And it appears that he is, as he’s been spotted working with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance, who is in need of a big season in 2023.
Mahomes shared an Instagram story of a video from Preston Smith Photography which shows him throwing to some of Kansas City’s receivers at TCU’s indoor facility: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, Justyn Ross, Jerrion Ealy, and Ihmir Smith-Marsette.
Trey Lance is throwing with Patrick Mahomes (Lance in the background of this video)…. IG: prestonsmithphotography
Preston Smith Photography also shared clips of Lance throwing at TCU with the Chiefs players. Other quarterbacks that were also present for the session were Kansas City’s Shane Buechele and Chris Olakudon.
Here’s the first public video of Trey Lance throwing since his injury.
(IG: prestonsmithphotogtaphy)
Has his release tightened up?
Trey Lance Entering Pivotal Season With 49ers
The significance of Trey Lance working with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ pass catchers doesn’t just stem from him reaching out to another NFL quarterback for help. The clips shown of Lance working out at TCU are also the first ones that have reached the public eye since he broke his ankle during the 2022 season and show a big step in his recovery.
Lance, 22, was selected 3rd overall by San Francisco in the 2021 NFL Draft. Since then, the same issues reside with Lance that were with him leading up to draft day: he hasn’t played very much football.
After being a starter for just 18 games at North Dakota State, Lance has only played in eight regular season games during the first two years of his NFL career. During his rookie season, Lance sat behind Jimmy Garoppolo, who guided the 49ers to the NFC Championship during the 2021 season. Lance had an opportunity to win the starting job his rookie season, but a broken pinkie in the last week of the preseason put to rest the competition between Lance and Garoppolo for the QB1 role.
Year 2 was another opportunity for Lance to take hold of the starting quarterback job in San Francisco but failed to do so, yet again due to injury.
#49ers QB Trey Lance appeared to suffer a significant right ankle injury on this play
His potential injury and return timeline, from our panel of doctors.
⏩https://t.co/Z4OdVhhplF
Lance suffered the broken ankle in Week 2 of the 2022 regular season, which then thrust Garoppolo back into the starting quarterback role. But after Garoppolo suffered a broken foot in December, it was rookie 7th-round pick Brock Purdy that became the 49ers’ starter and surpassed all expectations bestowed upon him from that point on.
Purdy went 5-0 as the starting quarterback during the final five games of the regular season and completed 65% of his passes for 569 yards, 3 touchdowns, and had 0 turnovers during the playoffs. Unfortunately, Purdy’s spectacular run came to an abrupt end during the NFC Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles when he was knocked out of the game early in the first quarter due to an elbow injury.
#49ers QB Brock Purdy suffered a right elbow injury on this play
The Pro Football Docs do NOT expect he will be able to throw effectively enough to return
Full analysis⏩ t.co/C8MOYRj6jl
Kyle Shanahan: Trey Lance Will Start 2023 Season as QB2
Jimmy Garoppolo took to free agency this offseason and signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. But 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has already made it clear that, whenever Brock Purdy does recover from surgery, he will be the team’s starting quarterback and Trey Lance will back him up.
That’s why the 2023 season is a pivotal one for Lance. If he’s unable to pry the starting quarterback role from Purdy’s hands, then he will ride the bench from thereon out and will ultimately be tagged with the “bust” label after failing to claim and keep the starting quarterback job for the third-straight year.
That’s why working with Patrick Mahomes, who is the best quarterback in the NFL and is on a Hall of Fame trajectory, is a good way for Lance to hone in on his craft with the hope of proving he is starting quarterback material. He’ll then have every opportunity to prove that this summer, as Purdy might not return until the 2023 regular season has already begun.