49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear on Tuesday that the organization is all in on Trey Lance as the quarterback this season, declaring to reporters during his pre-training camp media session that this year's team was "Trey's team." But it took some time for Shanahan to reach that level of confidence in Lance, and there are still some questions about his new starting quarterback that Shanahan hopes to find answers to in the weeks and months ahead.
The 22-year-old Lance came to the 49ers as a talented but raw prospect out of North Dakota State, where he played just one full season as a starter (NDSU's 2019 national championship season) before being limited to one game in 2020 due to COVID-19-related cancellations. Lance's lack of college experience didn't prevent the 49ers from making a huge investment in him when they traded three first-round picks to acquire him in the 2021 NFL Draft, nor did the fact that North Dakota State doesn't play at as high of a level of competition as many other college prospects. But the 49ers did expect Lance to need time to adjust to the NFL, which he was able to do in 2021 while veteran Jimmy Garoppolo held the starting job.
The time has now come for Lance to take the reins from Garoppolo, but he still lacks a large sample size of game experience. Lance did notch two NFL starts under his belt as a rookie while Garoppolo was injured, but there's still some mystery over what he'll deliver this year after having appeared in just three games over the past two seasons. Shanahan is aware of the unknowns that still exist around Lance, but after a full year of ups and downs as the young quarterback learned his system, the head coach seems satisfied with how Lance has improved and where he stands as the 2022 season approaches.
"You'd always love to watch someone play sixteen or seventeen games and know a lot more, but we studied the heck out of him in college," Shanahan told reporters on Tuesday. "And then he had times in the first OTAs [Organized Team Activities] he got here and the rookie minicamp, and then training camp where it's like, 'Wow, this might come fast.' Then you see the next day, and it's like 'Alright, he is a rookie, and he hasn't gone through a lot.' So we saw that through the whole rookie year, the ups and downs. That's what's tough about some young guys playing, because it's tough to go through those ups and downs and win a lot of games. That's why I thought it was great for him and for our team that he didn't have to go through that and we still had a pretty decent season.
"This offseason I think the most encouraging thing is you go through all the ups and downs, but he comes to OTA 1 and it was how he finished the OTAs. You throw a lot at it. You go through a whole thing of installation, and where he was at the end -- definitely not the finished product, but it was much further ahead than the beginning."
Adding to Shanahan's confidence in Lance is the fact he's been able to improve while under an intense spotlight. The 49ers came within minutes of reaching the Super Bowl in 2021, and they're not expecting to take a step back with Lance as the starter in 2022. Lance hasn't let any of that pressure affect his development, despite not having anywhere near the type of scrutiny during his college days that he has now.
"When you deal with the guy who's got the ability and stuff and all eyes are on him and the pressure's on him, not just with you guys and with teammates and stuff, that's what you want to see -- him getting better as he gets the opportunities," Shanahan said. "And if he gets better as he gets opportunities, then you're a hell of a lot more encouraged to give him a lot more opportunities."
It's always been in the 49ers' plans to have Lance take over for Garoppolo eventually, so it's encouraging to see their confidence in their young quarterback now that his time has arrived. But, as Shanahan said, Lance still has plenty of growth ahead. A big part of that growth will take place in training camp, preseason games, and throughout the season, as Shanahan searches to find out the aspects of his offense Lance will excel in the most.
"New wrinkles isn't the problem with him," Shanahan said. "It's trying to know all the stuff that you have done or what he's capable of doing, what the percentages are of it, how good he is at that compared to our other players. There are some things our players are comfortable with. How automatic is Trey going to be with that? Trey can do anything, but what's going to be his best stuff? That's stuff that I don't have the answer to yet. I'll have a much better idea at the end of camp, but I still won't have the answer. That'll go throughout the year, and that's always evolving."
Fortunately, Lance is in a good position to succeed in his first season as an NFL starter. While many young quarterbacks enter into a rebuilding situation when they get drafted into the NFL, Lance will be surrounded by a talented veteran cast that is used to winning. The team's veterans should be able to help carry the load for Lance when he makes mistakes.
"I love our team right now," Shanahan said. "When I just sit and go through our positions, some of the young guys that we've added, some of the young guys in the last couple of years who have quickly become some of our better players and leaders, I think our team's in a great spot to turn it over to a quarterback who hasn't played before."
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