One year after making an appearance in the NFC Championship Game, coach Kyle Shanahan is entrusting the keys to the 49ers’ offense to an inexperienced quarterback, 22-year-old Trey Lance.
“Is Trey ready to take it on his shoulders?” Shanahan said to NBC Sports columnist Peter King in the latest “Football Morning in America” column. “He shouldn’t be. He hasn’t gone through it enough.”
As King pointed out in his piece, Lance has only attempted 389 passes in game action since graduating from Marshall High School in 2018 -- 318 in college at North Dakota State and 71 for the 49ers as a rookie last season.
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“I believe in him as a man, as a person. I believe in his talent,” Shanahan told King. “I don’t think he is going to make or break our season, just like in 2019 and last year, I didn’t think Jimmy was going to make or break our season.”
The 49ers advanced to last year's NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams without Garoppolo tearing up the field in the postseason. He threw for just 535 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions over three playoff games.
Shanahan foresees the 49ers continuing their winning ways despite the guarantee that Lance will endure the hard lessons of what it takes to be an NFL signal-caller.
“What sucks is when you’re learning how to play and you’re not there yet,” he said. "How do you not get worse sometimes when that pressure’s on you, and you need to go through the growing pains?"
San Francisco 49ers
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Lance passed his first 2022 preseason test Friday night with flying colors. On the field for 11 snaps, Lance completed four of five pass attempts for 92 yards and a touchdown, the highlight being his 76-yard strike to rookie Danny Green for six points.
“Mentally, I feel like things are a lot more clear for me," Lance told King, comparing himself now to his rookie season. "I understand the offense, and I’m able to play fast.”
Lance beginning the exhibition season with a burst of bold confidence was encouraging to see. But Shanahan acknowledges the speed bumps ahead for the second-year quarterback, and believes the team will win as Lance learns on the job.