GETTY 49ers QB Trey Lance warms up.
The San Francisco 49ers are gearing up for a future with quarterback Trey Lance, and that process has started this season.
After being selected as the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Lance has seen a limited amount of time in real-game scenarios. However, he appears to be set to start in the Week 17 clash with the Houston Texans in Santa Clara on Sunday after starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo was ruled as doubtful by the team.
In the buildup to Sunday, Fred Warner was asked in a press conference about Lance’s development and revealed that he had to pull Lance to the side early on in the season. As we’ve previously covered, the star linebacker said that it was a conversation that had to be had in order to help Lance and the 49ers defense.
“I pulled him to the side and said, ‘Look Trey,’” Warner continued. “First of all, we weren’t getting the work we needed on the field, and that’s why you saw [the defense struggle] on game day. Also, for his sake. ‘Listen, this is your opportunity to take chances and develop that part of your game. Take a chance. Try and see, can you fit the ball in tight spaces? Can you throw on the run and complete a pass down the field?”
From Warner’s perspective, the conversation led to visible improvement.
“After that conversation started, he just started to roll,” Warner said. “You start seeing these crazy plays where he’s getting it right over guys’ fingertips, just tossing the ball down the field making the right plays. It’s just a confidence thing.”
But how does Lance feel about the interaction? The rookie QB opened up on what happened on Friday.
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Trey Lance Gives His Side of Story
When Lance was approached about the subject on Friday, he didn’t shy away from sharing details about the interactions. Lance said the conversations sometimes got “heated,” but that it was all in the spirit of competition.
“Yeah, we’ve had that conversation a couple times,” Lance said to the media per 49ers Webzone. “Sometimes maybe more heated than others. I don’t necessarily want to say heated, but I’m a competitor. Fred’s obviously one of the best competitors I’ve ever been around. And for him to care, not only about the look they’re getting, but also my development, him kind of pulling me off to the side or maybe us shouting across the line of scrimmage, whatever it was.”
Lance’s response is encouraging for fans, with the QB showing that he’s open to feedback and improving however he can. It’s not always easy to handle criticism, but when it’s coming from a leader like Warner, it’s important to listen.
Plus, the sooner Lance develops that rapport with all the key pieces of the team, the sooner it becomes his team outright.
49ers Rookie Talks Scout Team Duties
In the same vein of the conversations with Warner, Lance also talked about his scout team duties that ended up leading to the interaction.
Lance is awesome to have as a scout team option due to his athleticism, which has allowed the 49ers defense to get a close look at non-traditional quarterbacks like Chicago Bears rookie Justin Fields.
“I was Justin Fields when we played Chicago. Obviously, he can move,” Lance added. “Then I went to play Kirk [Cousins]. I think I gain a lot from both of those. Obviously, I think our D-line is really good, so I appreciate it when I can play kind of how I play, and be off-schedule. But when I’m emulating for the defense a quarterback that doesn’t move necessarily a lot, and doesn’t play off-schedule, I think there’s things that I gain from that, for sure.”
Lance getting more practice as a pocket-focused QB is something he can use. His athleticism opens up another dimension with his ability to run, but it’s clear that he’s already very run-focused. According to PFR, he ran 16 times for 89 yards in his only start against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5. In total this year, he’s ran 30 times for 137 yards and a touchdown.