Few subjects remain as evergreen as the 49ers’ quarterback pecking order. As Brock Purdy’s recovery is tinged with cautious optimism, the likes of Trey Lance, Sam Darnold and even Brandon Allen are poised to battle for the No. 2 and 3 jobs.
But if Lance, the former No. 3 overall pick, can’t beat out Darnold, where does that leave him? Would the 49ers look to move on from him if there’s a deal to be made elsewhere?
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports joined Murph and Mac to assess the situation on Thursday.
In Maiocco’s view, all avenues are open to Lance, but he wouldn’t be surprised to see the 49ers consider a trade if they receive interest.
“If Trey Lance is the number three and there’s any kind of trade market, wouldn’t the 49ers have to consider that?” Maiocco said. “This thing will have to play out, but if Trey Lance is the number three guy and the 49ers started getting phone calls about him, I mean, certainly, A, they’d certainly have to listen, but B, there would also have to be the element of okay, he’s number three, what’s his future with the 49ers? Is he ever gonna get on the field with the team? Don’t they have to try to recoup some of the trade value?”
That said, the scenarios for Lance are fluid.
If he were to beat out Darnold in camp and Purdy isn’t ready for the start of the season, there’s a path for Lance to be the starter.
“Eventually, what the 49ers have to do is do what’s in the best interest of their organization for the future,” Maiocco said. “And, I mean, it could go either way. I mean, Brock Purdy might not be ready week one. Trey Lance could be the starter week one, he could be the backup week one, he could be the third string week one, or the 49ers might decide that it makes more sense for them to trade him before week one. So it’s just wide open right now how that quarterback situation is going to kind of shake out and how they’re going to enter the regular season.”
Despite that potential starter avenue for Lance, Maiocco said he’s hearing that Purdy’s recovery is going well and he’s likely on track to start the season opener. He also added that there’s a confidence Sam Darnold will excel under Kyle Shanahan as a potential No. 2.
Things are murky for Lance, with training camp at the end of the month a major opportunity for him.
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