Trey Lance is excited about the opportunity to join the San Francisco 49ers. He was the No. 3 overall pick, and the young quarterback knows it is a unique situation. Most teams selecting at the top of the draft are doing so because the roster lacks an abundance of talent. That isn't the case for the Niners, who are just over a year removed from a Super Bowl appearance.
San Francisco had a championship-caliber roster last season. Injuries just decimated its depth. This offseason, the team brought back most of the players it wanted back. With some good luck on the injury front, Lance is walking into a better situation than most who were drafted in the top five. The team, after all, traded up to get him. And, it already has a veteran quarterback ahead of him, taking some of the pressure — for now — off of him.
"I'm in a really unique situation, playing quarterback," Lance told 49ers team reporter Keiana Martin during
a one-on-one inside Levi's Stadium on Friday. "Not only that, but being drafted as early as I did, and them trading up to draft me with a Super Bowl roster, really. I'm super thankful to not only the coaching staff, the organization, for believing in me.
"Obviously, I know a lot about [the situation], and it's hard not to. The coaching staff, coach (Kyle) Shanahan, or the players on this roster, like I said, it's a special place, and I'm very fortunate to be in the position that I'm in."
George Kittle reached out to Lance to welcome him to the team on Friday morning. However, the first player the young quarterback heard from was Jimmy Garoppolo, who will serve as a mentor during the upcoming season.
Eventually, the plan is to have Lance take over for Garoppolo, which, one would think, creates an awkward situation between the two. But everything out of Santa Clara states that Garoppolo is acting very professionally about the situation, and Lance feels welcomed by the veteran quarterback.
"All I've heard are just awesome things about the type of person he is, and obviously, what he does on the field kind of speaks for itself," Lance said of Garoppolo. "But it meant the world to me and my family, especially, that he reached out to me and sent that message. It was really encouraging for me just to know that we'll be able to have an awesome relationship. And I just told him I'm super excited to learn from him.
"I know he's going to be an awesome mentor, like I said, for me. I'm super excited to just be around him."
Lance has a lot to learn in the coming months, so it is good that the 49ers have a veteran in Garoppolo to lead the stacked roster this season. Quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello reportedly has already started working with Lance to ingrain the team's playbook and system into the rookie's mind. That started on Saturday.
"So, I'm super excited to learn," Lance added. "Like I said, my biggest thing is learn from Coach Scangarello, Coach Shanahan, and Jimmy."
The decision to trade up in the 2021 NFL Draft and select quarterback Trey Lance could have had significant consequences for general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan. With the team lacking first-round picks in the last two drafts due to this move, and Lance no longer on the roster after being traded to the Dallas Cowboys before last season, it's clear the gamble didn't unfold as expected.
Lynch held his annual pre-draft press conference on Monday, reflecting on the decision to take such a big chance on Lance. While such a bold move might have jeopardized jobs elsewhere, Lynch and Shanahan were blessed with some good fortune in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Acknowledging the support of the team's ownership, Lynch stated, "They believe in Kyle and I, and our
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
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
