LISTEN: The 49ers Season Is Over →

Fair or not, 49ers QB Trey Lanceā€™s opportunities continue to decrease

Rohan Chakravarthi
Jul 30, 2023 at 9:26 AM


placeholder image

Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.

The San Francisco 49ers are in the midst of a quarterback battle between their backup options, with Trey Lance and Sam Darnold splitting the second-team reps through the first three practices of training camp.

Lance, the team's starter to begin the 2022 season, and Darnold, a free agent signing this offseason, have been competing for a majority of the offseason, with the duo splitting first-team reps during minicamp while Brock Purdy was nursing his torn UCL injury.

Now in camp, the duo have seen their reps decrease as Purdy resumes his starting role with the first-team offense, leaving less opportunity and more pressure to perform when given chances.

Should Trey Lance be given more opportunities, given the lack of reps over his two-year NFL career?

Upon Brock Purdy's return on Day 2 of training camp, the 49ers went with an interesting rep split for the quarterbacks: Purdy gets all the first-team reps, while Lance and Darnold split all the second-team reps.

However, the two backups aren't splitting the third-team reps as well; instead, veteran Brandon Allen has taken all of those opportunities.

What does this mean?

Well, during team drills, Purdy receives a set of reps every three sets, as the order goes first team, second team, and third team before repeating.

That means Allen is also receiving a set of reps every three times. But, Lance and Darnold are receiving reps only once every five sets limiting their opportunities and intensifying the pressure on the two young quarterbacks.

There's a priority to determine the quarterback pecking order this offseason, and the best way to do so is getting Lance and Darnold the most amount of backup reps possible.

Therefore, it's confusing why Brandon Allen, a practice-squad-level quarterback who likely shouldn't make the roster, is earning a similar amount of opportunity, cutting into the chances for the backup duo.

Of course, there shouldn't be excuses for either of their performances when they've struggled; it's on the quarterbacks to perform when given chances.

But, there are significant layoffs between the reps for each Lance and Darnold, as they only practice every five sets, and that's a questionable approach to solving the quarterback dilemma.

The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.
Enjoy this article? Follow us to never miss more!

Powered by Follow.it


Comments

More San Francisco 49ers News

placeholder image

49ers' Deebo Samuel denies struggles, blames lack of opportunitiesĀ 

By David Bonilla
Dec 9

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel has faced criticism in recent weeks for underwhelming performances. Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle noted that Samuel has accumulated just 97 total yards over his last four games. Deebo Samuel has 97 total yards in his...


placeholder image

49ers' Ricky Pearsall shrugs off lack of targets, focuses on opportunities ahead

By David Bonilla
Dec 5

Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall seemed poised for a breakout after his Week 10 performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he hauled in four passes for 73 yards and scored his first NFL touchdown on six targets. However, since that game, his opportunities have...


placeholder image

Easy, random Green Bay fan. The 49ers are not done yet

By Ben Roberts
Dec 10

"He eliminated your team. Enjoy reading mock drafts." - A random Green Bay Packers fan. This comment was posted on "X," previously known as "Twitter." It was a response to another comment suggesting that the Packers' quarterback is not that good. Let's dive in. Jordan Love is...


placeholder image

49ers mailbag: What do the 49ers have left in the tank for the last four games? Will SF bring back Robert Saleh? Can Brock Purdy beat good teams?

By Marc Adams
Dec 11

It's always a big week when the San Francisco 49ers play the Los Angeles Rams. In 2021, the rivalry became even bigger when the 49ers had to win in the season's final week, in Los Angeles, to make it into the playoffs. On Thursday night, the 49ers must win again to keep their...


Latest

Trending News

Share 49ersWebzone