There were high expectations from North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance when the San Francisco 49ers selected him using the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Despite having Jimmy Garropolo on their roster, the 49ers still decided to move up in the recent draft just to bring Lance to San Francisco.
Lance started his first season in the NFL as the 49ers’ second-string quarterback. However, when Garoppolo went down with an injury, Lance got the opportunity to start and receive more playing time from Coach Kyle Shanahan.
Questions Around Utilization of Trey Lance Against Cardinals
Lance may have started in the 49ers game against the Cardinals, but he wasn’t utilized the way most NFL fans expected him to be in Week 5 of the 2021 NFL season. Instead of proceeding with a game plan that would allow them to maximize Lance’s full potential on the field, Shanahan decided to use a win-at-all-cost approach.
In their 17-10 loss to the Cardinals, Shanahan called nine designed runs for Lance and three read-options. The rookie quarterback also scrambled four times. With the way he used Lance, some people started to question if Shanahan is really considering him as their quarterback of the future.
Steve Young Discusses Trey Lance's Future
In a recent appearance on KNBR’s Tolbert, Krueger and Brooks, NFL legend Steve Young talked about several interesting topics, including Lance and Shanahan’s controversial game plan against the Cardinals. Based on what he saw in their recent game, Young said that as of now, Lance, whom he called "awesomely raw," "isn’t trusted" by Shanahan and the 49ers.
"That’s not replicable, right?" Young said, as quoted by Josh Schrock of NBC Sports. "That’s not something we can keep doing. Clearly, it was an effort to get him kind of in the mix. What is obvious to me is that [Lance] isn’t trusted."
Steve Young Clarifies Statement On Trey Lance
When he said that they don’t trust Lance, Young doesn’t mean that the 49ers don’t consider him part of their long-term future. Young explained that as a rookie, it would still take time for Lance to gain the full trust of Shanahan and the 49ers.
"What rookie in his first start is trusted?" Young said. "What I’m saying is that I don’t want to put him in a spot where, I know for the fact that if I can get him on the run that’s something he is very comfortable with and maybe we can get away with some things, but I think the Cardinals just played it really well."
Coach Kyle Shanahan's Game Plan Backfired
Shanahan’s game plan against the Cardinals ended up being a huge mistake. Aside from costing them a win, it was viewed as one of the major reasons why Lance went down with an injury in Week 5. After executing a play that made him vulnerable to a number of hits, the rookie quarterback suffered a knee sprain and as of now, his status for Week 7 of the 2021 NFL season remains unknown.
With Lance likely out, 49ers’ fans are hoping that Garoppolo would return from a calf injury when they face the Indiana Colts.
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