For many rookies, the pressure of going out on the football field and proving yourself can be a bit overwhelming. That is especially true for a rookie quarterback and even more so for a top-3 pick.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan doesn't want his rookie quarterback, Trey Lance, overthinking things when he steps onto the field for preseason games. These outings are opportunities to improve. Lance certainly is not fighting for a roster spot. It's a safe bet that he will be on the 53-man roster come September 12.
Could he be the Week 1 starter? Probably not. Right now, that job belongs to Jimmy Garoppolo, and Shanahan said after Sunday's night's game against the Los Angeles Chargers that nothing has changed when it comes to that plan. However, the coach also wasn't willing to officially name Garoppolo as the Week 1 starter just yet. But he did promise to do so before kickoff against the Detroit Lions, the team's first regular-season opponent.
So with no pressure to wow his coaches or the fanbase just yet, what does Shanahan tell Lance before preseason games?
"I tell him before each game, "Don't go in there and try to impress anyone or prove anything,'" Shanahan said after the game. "'You're just going in there and trying to get better. Whether it's good or bad, this was your second game in about 500 days or something like that, so just soak it all in and make sure you learn from it because we've only got a few of these.'
"We've got one more left, but I'm real excited, like I said last week, to get back and watch the film from him."
Shanahan felt Lance could have gotten more help from his teammates during his first two drives. The first ended with a punt and the second with an interception. The rookie bounced back, though, tossing two touchdown passes to help lift San Francisco to the win over the Chargers.
Even through the early struggles, the coach didn't panic.
"I just try not to overreact on anything," Shanahan said. "I mean, you want everything to go perfect. A lot of eyes are on him. I was a little more frustrated with his first couple of opportunities I thought he had where some guys could have helped him made it a little easier to get into his rhythm. Then after that, he struggled a little bit, but it's kind of what we talked about and expected."
Lance finished the game 8-of-14 for 102 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. The game, of course, followed two joint practices last week with the Chargers in Costa Mesa, which were helpful.
"I think this week was huge just for my development as a football player," Lance said after the game. "Not even necessarily for tonight, if that makes sense. I think I learned so much this week just getting to practice against another defense, getting to be around different guys, and have a different experience, practice in a different setting.
"So, I learned a lot, for sure, and at the same time, got to take all those reps this week than I would have against our defense back in Santa Clara."