Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
49ers’ Jeff Wilson says Trey Lance is ‘maturing at a rapid pace,’ talks fantasy football slap
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
There has been a lot of debate surrounding the pace of Trey Lance's development as the quarterback enters his second season with the San Francisco 49ers—likely his first as an NFL starter. While the national media pushes the narrative of doubt in the 22-year-old player, teammates and 49ers coaches continue to express confidence in Lance.
Need proof of their confidence in Lance? The 49ers have been trying to trade their starter of the past four-and-a-half seasons, Jimmy Garoppolo, all offseason. Of course, that stalled when Garoppolo underwent shoulder surgery on March 8, and his status remains in limbo.
Count running back Jeff Wilson Jr. among the 49ers players who have been impressed with Lance's development compared to the quarterback's rookie campaign.
"You can tell he's way more demanding," Wilson told reporters after Wednesday's practice. "He's always been demanding, don't get me wrong, but you can just tell that he's embracing the role. And you can see it. He's growing up. He's maturing at a rapid pace. And it's every day. It's not just since we came back to OTAs. He gets better every day with whatever he needs to do, and he's been on top of his game."
Wilson was asked if Lance's progress has been both mental and physical.
"No doubt," he responded. "All this time, that's the nature of this game that we play. But he won't have no problem with it. He's just going to keep on learning from Kyle (Shanahan) and [quarterback coach Brian Griese], and I think he's going to be a great player."
Wilson couldn't escape questions about being the focal point of a feud between Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tommy Pham and San Francisco Giants outfielder Joc Pederson, resulting in the former slapping the latter. The dispute was because of the fantasy football league to which the two belonged last season and the rules for injured players.
It was later revealed that Wilson was the injured player at the center of the conflict.
"That was crazy, man," Wilson told reporters while laughing. "Actually, Robbie was the first person that told me about it—Robbie Gould. But that was crazy. I guess I'm just honored to be in the conversation. And shout out to Joc for having me on the team and taking one for the team."
Wilson doesn't focus too much on his fantasy stats, though. He figures if he does his job, fantasy team owners who drafted him will be happy.
"I really don't get too much into it," Wilson explained. "I just know all that we do on the field helps them win. So I try to do my part, and I let them do theirs."
Related News
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Jeff Garcia praises Brock Purdy, discusses 49ers QB's growth potential
Jeff Garcia has been impressed by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy in his two seasons with the team. As the last overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Purdy was thrust into the spotlight after the 49ers faced quarterback injuries and proved his NFL mettle.
While some doubts lingered after his rookie season, Purdy's resilience shone through. Despite starting only five regular-season games, he guided the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game, where, unfortunately, he suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his throwing arm. Garcia was among those who wondered whether Purdy could maintain his success into his second season.
Last year, coming off surgery, Purdy set a single-season franchise record with 4,280 passing yards. His impressive performance
NFL insider states the obvious regarding 49ers' talks with Brandon Aiyuk
ESPN insider Adam Schefter recently shared his insights on the situation surrounding San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk during an appearance on the network's "NFL Live" show. Schefter clarified that while Aiyuk would like to remain with the 49ers, his priority is securing a contract that reflects his value, regardless of the team.
When questioned about Aiyuk's desire to stay with the team that selected him in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Schefter responded, "Well, I think his desire to get paid is greater than his desire to stay in San Francisco, wherever that is. If the 49ers want to pay him, I'm sure he'd love to stay in San Francisco. If another team would like to pay him, I'm sure he'd like to go
Brock Purdy sends clear message to Brandon Aiyuk amid contract talks with 49ers
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will be present today as the team reports for the start of its offseason program. Purdy was a little early, as he hosted a youth football camp over the weekend.
Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group spoke to the 49ers quarterback during the event and asked him about one of his teammates, Brandon Aiyuk. The star wide receiver is currently in contract extension negotiations with the 49ers, and the team has emphasized keeping him around for the foreseeable future as an offseason priority.
Purdy has
49ers sign WR Trent Taylor, reuniting with former draft pick
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
