San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance played two drives during Friday's 28-21 preseason win over the Green Bay Packers. This week, head coach Kyle Shanahan said the plan for Lance was to play in Week 1 and Week 3 of the preseason schedule, skipping the August 20 game against the Minnesota Vikings.
For now, that "most likely" remains the plan, Shanahan told reporters after Friday night's game. That could change based on how next week goes, though. The 49ers will hold joint practices with the Vikings at the TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota.
"We'll see how it goes, but I'm a lot more into the Wednesday and Thursday practice than the game on Saturday," Shanahan said, "and quarterbacks are never too tired from practice. But depending on how much we play the rest of the offense on Wednesday and Thursday, if that starting O-line plays a ton, I'm not going to put them in there on Saturday night, especially when we get back Sunday morning at like 7 a.m. and then we've got to go to Houston that Wednesday. So, trying to be smart with that game, but that will be all based off how practice goes."
Lance played well in Friday's game against the Packers. The second-year quarterback finished the night 4-of-5 for 92 yards, a touchdown, and a perfect passer rating of 158.3. None of that was his highlight moment, though. Instead, that came on the quarterback's only run of the night when he slid at the end of the seven-yard scamper down the field.
"I got down," Lance said proudly. "That was my first time sliding in my whole entire life, so that was good. I'm sure guys were happy. I would have liked to probably move the chains maybe one more step, but I'm excited to go back and watch the tape tonight and tomorrow and go through it with the coaches and our offense."
Yes, that was the first time the quarterback slid during a college or pro-level football game, which shows you what kind of competitor he is. That has changed now that he is an NFL franchise quarterback.
"You can watch all my games. Never [slid]," Lance said. "I'm pretty sure I could hear the whole entire sideline yelling at me, 'Get down!' And obviously, I'm in a little bit different position now, just trying to take care of myself. I know that me being available and me not being available puts our team at a deficit."
Lance admitted that he has played baseball but can count on one hand how many times he slid in that sport.
"That was my highlight," Lance said of Friday night's slide.
While the 22-year-old quarterback doesn't practice sliding, he has imagined it. He was all smiles when a reporter complimented him on his form at the end of the play.
"I've thought about practicing it, though," Lance admitted. "You know, kind of picturing it in my head. I was sitting in my hotel room, actually, this morning [imagining it] ... I was telling guys about it."