San Francisco 49ers assistant coaches spoke with reporters on Wednesday. That included new quarterbacks coach Brian Griese, who is coming off a broadcast career with ESPN. The task ahead of him: Help mold second-year quarterback Trey Lance and prepare him to guide the 49ers to success.
Griese expressed his excitement about returning to coaching. He was asked about last year's No. 3 overall pick and what he has seen from the 22-year-old quarterback.
"With respect to Trey, in particular, meeting him and getting to know him over the last couple of months, he is an outstanding young man in so many ways," Griese said. "I'm excited to continue to get to know him both on and off the field. I'm excited that he comes to work every day, and he's humble, and he wants to get better."
Last season was a rollercoaster of a year for Lance, who played in just one collegiate game during his junior year due to COVID. The 49ers gave up a lot to trade up to draft Lance, so the expectations for his future are high.
"Your rookie year, you go through it, your first playoff game is your first, your first Wildcard game is your first Wildcard game," Lance said on Tuesday. "Your first NFC Championship is your first NFC Championship, so throughout the year, everything was new.
"It was my first Week 1, first Week 2, first Week 3, and so on. So I was thankful for Jimmy [Garoppolo], thankful for Nate [Sudfeld], thankful for all the coaching staff and the guys in the locker room. Like I said, I think that that for me was the coolest thing to be able to be a part of that locker room last year."
2021 was a year of new experiences for Lance. This year will be the same for Griese, a longtime friend of the Shanahan family. The assistant coach is ready to attack his new job just as he did during his time as a quarterback and broadcaster.
"I view it the same way," Griese shared. "I have my entire life, whether I've been playing or broadcasting, or now, being a coach. I'm going to come here with humility, and [Lance and I are] going to get better together, and we check the ego at the door. He does that every single day he comes to work, and that gives him a chance to be successful."
New 49ers QB coach Brian Griese on Trey Lance:
"He is an outstanding young man in so many ways… He comes to work everyday and he's humble and he wants to get better." pic.twitter.com/TGNqN6oZVP
— KNBR (@KNBR) May 25, 2022
