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After spending the final 19 weeks of the 2022 NFL season on the injured reserve list with a compound ankle injury, Trey Lance has officially returned to the field for the San Francisco 49ers in OTAs, and by all accounts he’s looking like a new quarterback with an improved throwing motion and better footwork.
Discussing the steps forward the 23-year-old quarterback has made in his game with reporters during OTAs, passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak complemented Lance for taking a step forward in his on-field development heading into this pivotal third professional season.
“Getting to know Trey and watching his film from previous years, I see a lot of improvement in his overall mechanics,” Kubiak said via The Athletic. “What stands out is his footwork. And I think that’s stuff that Brian (Griese) and (assistant quarterbacks coach) Klay (Kubiak) definitely have worked on. He just seems really comfortable with what you’re asking him to do. I love how his feet have progressed at this point of his career”
Turning his sights to the future, Kubiak was asked what areas Lance still has to improve on, and the second-generation coach noted that for Lance to truly master Kyle Shanahan’s scheme, he needs to become better with his timing, as the whole scheme is predicated on getting the ball where it needs to be when it needs to be there.
“The timing’s all a little bit different,” Kubiak said. “And we’re asking him to master the tempo, asking him to match his feet with each play. And I think that’s a tough thing to do. And with him going into Year 3 in this system, he has a lot of knowledge of what Kyle’s asking from him. You can tell that he’s put the work in.”
Timing Was a Concern for Trey Lance Coming out of NDSU too
Though Lance was widely considered one of the top prospects in the 2021 NFL draft, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com noted in his draft profile that the then-20-year-old quarterback could work on becoming less hesitant as a pro, as he would often get too hesitant and lose the tempo of North Dakota State’s offense.
“One-year starter who dazzled in 2019. Lance is mature for his age, but will be just 20 years old at the time of the 2021 NFL Draft. He’s a rare dual-threat quarterback in that he’s tasked with setting his own protections and reading the full field,” Zierlein wrote.
“Coaches rave about his football IQ and film work. They believe he will come into the league more football savvy than most of the quarterbacks in this draft. Tape shows very average arm strength, but velocity should improve with better lower-body drive. While his recognition of coverage danger is a plus, he’s currently more of a ‘yellow light’ quarterback who needs to find a ‘green light’ risk-taking mentality to become a playmaking talent in the NFL. An offensive coordinator willing to blend his run/pass talent with a play-action attack could get the most out of Lance, who should become a good NFL starter.”
Finally healthy and fully able to execute the concepts he’s learned last year on a football field, it will be interesting to see if Lance can continue to progress within the confines of Shanahan’s offense and address the issue Zierlein noted in his game coming out of NDSU. If he does, the Minnesota native could very well still “become a good NFL start,” in San Francisco or elsewhere.
Brian Griese Explains His Return to the San Francisco 49ers
After switching out quarterbacks coaches from 2021 to 2022, Lance and the rest of the 49ers’ signal-callers will be graced with continuity with their player-specific coach in 2023 after 2022 hire Brian Griese opted to return to the team for a second season following a decade-plus run at ESPN.
Asked why he returned to the team in 2023 during OTAs, Griese explained that, in his opinion, his job just wasn’t done.
“I was fulfilled in the job. I talk with our guys a lot about self-actualization. This is an opportunity for me to embrace a new challenge in my life at this point in the journey. And I really appreciate that. I appreciate the opportunity. I think there are some experiences that I have that can help. And I just enjoy being a part of a team — winning and losing,” Grise said.
“That’s really what attracted me to coaching: the relationships. Being part of something bigger than yourself. Investing in people, trusting people, working to pull in the same direction — to win, to lose, to fail, to succeed, and to grow from all those experiences. That’s what I was hoping for, and that’s certainly what I experienced last year. Would have loved to have ended on a better note, but certainly, the journey was one that I was ready for at that point, so I’m very thankful for that.”
As David Lombardi and Matt Barrows noted in their joint piece for The Athletic, Griese’s family opted to stay in Denver when he accepted the position in San Francisco. Though only time will tell if the Grieses opt to make the Bay Area their new home, until they do, the 49ers’ quarterbacks coach will likely be reconsidering his role on a season-to-season basis.
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