San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch joined KNBR this morning, speaking for the first time since news broke that Sam Darnold had beaten Trey Lance for the QB2 job behind starter Brock Purdy. The numerous reports also stated that the Niners are looking into their options for the former No. 3 overall pick, including potential trades.
On Wednesday, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the 49ers have been shopping Lance for "much of the offseason."
While the 49ers are exploring trade possibilities for Trey Lance, the front office has been shopping him for much of the offseason, according to a league source.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) August 23, 2023
The team never received a significant trade offer.
The 49ers general manager had an opportunity to respond to that report.
"That's not accurate," Lynch told KNBR's Markus Boucher and Paul McCaffrey in response to Russini's report. "If I responded to every report, I'd have no time in my day, but that is not accurate."
This morning, Lance returned to the 49ers after what Lynch called a "mutual decision" between head coach Kyle Shanahan and Lance that the quarterback not participate in the team's Wednesday practice.
Lynch was also asked if anyone from Lance's camp had reached out and requested a trade. The general manager didn't provide a direct answer to the question, instead responding with, "Trey's back in the building, and we're going to work. We're still finishing training camp up. Trey understands that. We understand that. That's where we're at."
Does the general manager expect Lance to be on the 49ers' roster when Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers arrives?
"I think that's the most likely option," Lynch responded. "As I said, we're very happy with Trey. That's probably the most likely option, is that he's here. If we could find a landing spot for Trey, that is a really good one for him and works for our organization, that's not something we turn a blind eye to.
"But that's not where our focus is right now. I think our focus is on Trey getting back here and us being the best football team. We're getting close to Pittsburgh, and that's kind of where we're at."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.