This was supposed to be Trey Lance’s year.
But after just five quarters of football, the 22-year-old 49ers quarterback faced yet another setback with an ankle injury that will sideline him until the 2023 season.
A season full of promise and potential was gone in a matter of minutes. Regardless of his inexperience, his teammates were more than confident that he was ready.
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"He was already a general on the field," 49ers running back Jeff Wilson told KNBR on Wednesday. "He already had the respect of everybody. So none of that was ever the problem. It hurts to see because you can tell — you know how you can tell that somebody is really becoming comfortable, like feels good in their own skin?
"You could tell that moment was coming that everybody knew he was capable of. It was right around the corner. Shoot, it probably would have even been that game."
After the 49ers made it clear they were moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo and going forward with their former No. 3 pick this season, Lance garnered praise from his teammates for the work he put in this offseason to be QB1.
On top of what they were witnessing physically, the team was impressed with the young QB for taking a leadership role early on and they couldn’t wait for the new season.
San Francisco 49ers
But just 12 minutes into San Francisco’s Week 2 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday, all the hard work and dedication was carted off and out of a somber Levi’s Stadium.
The "Trey Area" era -- once again -- was put on pause.
“That's why it's so tough because you can just — like even in the huddle — you could just see it in his eyes,” Wilson said. “He [was] really ready to prove everybody wrong. He [was] really ready to show that he could ball because he can, and that's the bummer part about it.
“Then he's going to have to [deal with] all the critics and the down people. All that, man, I just hate it for him because everybody knows the type of player he is, and we can't wait to get him back."
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With Garoppolo appointed the new starting quarterback once again, Lance will cheer on his team as he recovers and rehabs.
Before being wheeled off the field, Lance made a promise to his team.
"I'll be back," he said.
And he plans to do just that.