PHOENIX — John Lynch likes Trey Lance on the roster, but the 49ers general manager did not completely rule out trading the quarterback if an attractive offer were to be presented.
“We like Trey on our team right now,” Lynch told local Bay Area media while at the NFL Annual Meeting. “We always joke, [coach] Kyle [Shanahan] and I, we’d trade each other if someone gave us a good enough deal. So we listen to everything, but we like Trey on our team and we are very excited about the way he is progressing about his opportunity.
“I think he’s chomping at the bit to get out there and get back under center and be healthy again.”
The 49ers exec shared that Lance has been at the team facility since the 2022 NFL season ended, working out with staff and rehabilitating from a second procedure to remove hardware from his ankle. The third-year quarterback was seen in Arizona during Super Bowl events in February wearing shoes on both feet, ready to get to work.
Lance will have plenty of time to show what he is capable of while getting the lion’s share of the team reps during OTAs and training camp. Until early September, the North Dakota State product and newly signed free agent Sam Darnold will be without Brock Purdy, who recently had a procedure to repair his injured UCL.
As the No. 3 overall selection of the 2021 NFL Draft, expectations have been high for Lance. Purdy, on the other hand, who was drafted with the last pick in 2022, seems to have out-performed expectations.
Neither player’s drafts status matters to the 49ers GM.
San Francisco 49ers
“We’ve always said we don’t care where you were drafted, if you were drafted,” Lynch said. “It’s always been our stance. It’s what we believe in. I think both things can be true. We are still very excited about Trey, but the way that Brock played, he probably has earned that right to be the guy, but it’s certainly a competition.
“We will always have that. These are decisions Kyle makes but I know in our discussions it’s the way we were talking.”
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The club will need to add another quarterback to the mix, either in late rounds of the draft or an undrafted free agent, just to get through all of the team reps during training camp. While the job appears to be Purdy’s to lose, Lance will be seeing a lot of time on the field.