getty George Kittle warms up before the August 25, 2023 preseason contest versus the Chargers.
The huge and swift trade of Trey Lance on Friday, August 25, left a reverberating effect across the league — include inside the locker room of the San Francisco 49ers.
Lance, once taken No. 3 overall just two years ago by the Niners, was swapped for a 2024 fourth rounder in a deal with the Dallas Cowboys. His trade sparked reactions across the league…but also from the “People’s Tight End” George Kittle.
Is Kittle Happy for Lance? Or Disappointed in the Move?
Via 49ers insider David Lombardi of The Athletic Friday, Kittle offered this reaction to the deal.
“We’re really happy for Trey,” Kittle began. “Fresh start. Going to Dallas. He’ll enjoy it. He’ll learn from a veteran quarterback down there. It’s going to be good for him.”
Kittle is a believer that his now former teammate will turn out just fine being in a room with Dak Prescott and in an offense featuring Pro Bowlers Tony Pollard, CeeDee Lamb, newly resigned Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin and perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith solidifying the offense.
But what does Lance leave behind as a lasting effect for the All-Pro Kittle?
“He just had an overall joy for the game. It’s something we shared together,” Kittle said.
The perennial Pro Bowl tight end adds that Lance was always a professional toward his teammates.
“He would cheer for everybody. He was always dialed into the game. He loves playing the game. For him to go where he has an opportunity to go play at some point, we’re all very excited for him so he can show that joy again,” Lance said.
Kittle’s remarks additionally came on the day Lance’s name plate inside the 49ers’ locker room was officially taken down.
The name plate was already removed from Trey Lance’s former locker at Levi’s Stadium when I was in there after the game. A couple teammates said they’d seen Lance at breakfast, and then the trade news came down as players were trickling in for today’s game.
George Kittle:…
How Did the 49ers Fare Without Lance Following the Trade?
So officially, it’s Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold as the QB1 and QB2, respectively, for the 49ers’ QB room.
And both took snaps on Friday night at Santa Clara. How did both fare at Levi’s Stadium after the huge trade?
Darnold took most of the snaps and went on to finish 6-of-11 passing for 89 yards with no interceptions and threw the lone touchdown pass in the 23-12 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Purdy additionally got limited duty against the Bolts and went on to complete 5-of-9 passes for 73 yards and no picks, but no touchdowns either.
The official third QB option post Lance Brandon Allen also got some action. He went on to complete 2-of-6 throws for 23 yards and threw the lone interception among the 49er quarterbacks.
San Francisco relied mostly on its zone read rushing attack in the game. Second-year pro Tyrion Davis-Price ended up being the top rusher with 10 carries, 61 yards and averaged an astonishing 6.1 yards per carry — all in an effort to cement his case in the running back rotation behind Christian McCaffrey.
Furthermore in the backfield, fellow second-year pro Jordan Mason helped spell Davis-Price with nine carries, 59 yards and averaged a team=high 6.6 yards per carry.
As for Lance, his final official 49ers game becomes the Week 2 preseason win over the Denver Broncos 21-20. He ended that August 19 game with 12-of-18 passing for 173 yards, one touchdown and one interception.