Trey Lance would have to play to make his case for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Right now, the San Francisco 49ers' plan is for Jimmy Garoppolo to be the starter, with Lance sitting behind the veteran and using the extra time to continue familiarizing himself with head coach Kyle Shanahan's playbook.
Because the 49ers roster is stacked, some feel that Lance might do well stepping into the lineup sooner rather than later. The rookie's timetable to play could be pushed up with a good showing in training camp.
"It's go time once you're about three or four days into camp," NFL Network's Gregg Rosenthal recently said. "And if [Lance] is as good as they think he is, I think he'll be starting as soon as Week 1 if he is a little more accurate than he was in college. The amount of talent on that roster is breathtaking."
Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars is currently the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, per Bovada (via OddsShark). Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears has the second-best odds. Lance owns the third-best odds.
Is Trevor Lawrence a 🔒 for #NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year? Who is your pick?
Trevor Lawrence +275
Justin Fields +575
Trey Lance +650
Najee Harris +700
Zach Wilson +750
Kyle Pitts +1000
Ja'Marr Chase +1200
Mac Jones +1200(Bovada)#NFLTwitter #SportsBetting
— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) July 7, 2021
ESPN's Matt Miller also believes we could see Lance on the field sooner rather than later, and he's not talking about just throwing the rookie in for some player-specific packages here and there.
"I do believe we see Trey Lance this year," Miller said in May, "and I think he has the type of year -- we're going to be looking at the Niners as a playoff team once again, and Trey Lance as our Offensive Rookie of the Year."
Despite the rookie quarterback's lack of collegiate experience, Pro Football Focus analyst Sam Monson also believes Lance could be more ready than some are anticipating.
"Lance has the tools to take what is already one of the best schemes in football into a whole new realm of irresistibility," Monson wrote in May, "and if there isn't a glaring reason to throw a block in front of that happening, then I see no reason not to play Lance immediately.
"His tape just doesn't show the kind of problematic trait that should keep him off the field, and so, even with Garoppolo waiting in the wings, the 49ers should install Lance as their Day 1 starter and watch him cruise his way to Rookie of the Year honors within this offense."