Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance could be on the move again.
Lance’s name surfaced since the Minnesota Vikings lost quarterback Kirk Cousins to a season-ending Achilles injury on Sunday, October 29. The 49ers traded Lance, a former No. 3 pick in 2021, to the Dallas Cowboys before the season, and Lance hasn’t played since.
“Hidden away in Dallas as the No. 3 QB behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush, the short-lived face of the 49ers is still just 23, and Minnesota reportedly discussed a potential trade for his services in the offseason,” CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin wrote about Lance on Monday. “He’s still a total unknown as an NFL passer, but this is an athlete who went No. 3 overall just two years ago.”
TREY LANCE 80-YARD TOUCHDOWN
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Lance only started four games for the 49ers in two seasons. He threw for 797 yards and five touchdowns versus three interceptions in eight games played as he compiled a 2-2 record under center.
His college performance with North Dakota State wowed scouts in 2019, and Lance shot up the mock draft board in 2020. Lance completed 65% of his passes and threw for 2,947 yards and 30 touchdowns versus one interception in 19 games with the Bison. He also rushed for 1,325 yards and 18 touchdowns in that span.
Vikings Wouldn’t Trade as Much as the 49ers Did to Get Trey Lance
San Francisco traded four draft picks to select Lance at No. 3 in 2021, based on his small sample size at NDSU. The Cowboys only traded a fourth-round pick for Lance, and the Vikings likely wouldn’t need much more than that to acquire the Marshall, Minnesota, native.
“He’s also something of a hometown hero, growing up in Minnesota and starring for NDSU before his injury-riddled run in San Francisco,” Benjamin continued. “The Cowboys liked his upside enough to acquire him in August, but perhaps Dallas would sell him for a higher price now. He’d be an intriguing long-term swing for Vikings brass.”
The Vikings succeeded in developing a local star not that long ago in wide receiver Adam Thielen, now with the Carolina Panthers. Thielen, a 2017 All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler, emerged from undrafted free agent to a star with the Vikings.
Whether or not Lance could do the same remains to be seen.
How COVID Cost the 49ers, NFL Scouts an Accurate Look at Lance
While Lance made it on the Heisman Trophy watch list in 2019, his biggest college test never arrived for NFL scouts — and the 49ers — to witness.
The Bison had an August 2020 date scheduled with the Oregon Ducks, but COVID wiped out that game and Lance’s chance to show what he could do against a FBS powerhouse. Instead, Lance played one game in 2020, a showcase game against FCS Central Arkansas, a game the Bison barely won and where Lance threw his lone collegiate pick.
Whether or not Lance faced the Ducks, the strength of that year’s Bison squad may have masked any of Lance’s shortcomings better than the unbeaten 2019 squad. NDSU had an offensive line stacked with NFL talent: Cody Mauch, Cordell Volson, Nash Jensen, and Dillon Randuz. In addition, the Bison had future NFL players in wide receiver Christian Watson, fullback Hunter Luepke, and defensive back Josh Hayes.
It’s been known as “the greatest team not to play” as the Fargo Forum’s Jeff Kolpack coined it. NFL scouts and the 49ers, took a risk on Lance amid 19 games played and in a program loaded with talent that was head and shoulders above its competition at the time.
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Former 49ers Quarterback Named a ‘Intriguing’ Trade Candidate for NFC Rival