49ers-Cardinals: Players, coaches praise Trey Lance after first NFL start

Trey Lance's first NFL start was far from perfect, but it was good enough to leave a positive impression on those who were playing with and against him on the field.

Lance finished with 192 yards on 15-of-29 passing with zero touchdowns and one interception in Sunday's 17-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, while also leading both teams in rushing with 16 carries for 89 yards. Following the game, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters he felt Lance played well overall despite the first quarter interception that the Cardinals turned into their first touchdown.

"I thought he did some really good things," Shanahan said. "Definitely wasn't perfect, which no one ever has been. That first pick I thought just sailed on him. He was going to the right spot but it just got away from him on that first drive. Overall, I think if we could have done a little bit better around him, I thought he did good enough to win."

Shanahan's opinion on Lance was one of several to surface after the game. Here's a rundown of what each team said about Lance's performance.

* Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury: "I thought (Shanahan) had a tremendous plan for that young kid to use his legs and let him play and show his athletic ability, and he did. He played tough, and we needed every second to win that game."

* 49ers left tackle Trent Williams: "He was poised. He was confident. I feel like Trey gave us a chance to win."

* 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, who was impressed with how Lance was able to shake off the amount of hits he took: "You want so much for a young guy when he's in there in his first start to be successful, gain that confidence. We have all the confidence in the world in Trey. When you're a young guy and you're taking those shots from these big dudes -- we're the ones on the opposite side. We know how that is. Admirable."

* 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa: "It was fun to watch. He definitely runs the ball hard. Might need to learn how to slide."

* 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who thinks Lance is close to being where he needs to be as a quarterback: "I think he's kind of right there. There's just little things he has to capitalize on and learn as a rookie, you know."

* 49ers safety Jimmie Ward: "I feel like Trey settled in. I feel like he made some great throws. Banged his body up a little more than I like, but at the end of the day, he's a playmaker and he's going to try to make plays."

* Cardinals safety Budda Baker, who was on the other side of Lance's interception (and was thankful for it): "He's fast. He can get out of that pocket. He was running the ball. He did his thing. We knew he was going to try to get out of the pocket and he did a great job of getting out of the pocket and forcing first downs and getting their offense to get on the field some more. If not, it would probably look a lot different than what it looked like. He's a great young guy, of course... A guy who just now is getting their offense. Their offense is a pretty hard offense to learn, so he did a great job, ran the ball. I appreciate him, man. That overthrow, I appreciate that."

When Lance's second start will come remains to be seen. Shanahan said after the game that Jimmy Garoppolo's status as the 49ers' starter has not changed, so the expectation is that Garoppolo be back under center whenever he returns from his calf injury. The 49ers will have a bye next week before hosting the Indianapolis Colts on October 24.

Related News

• 'Some good, some bad' in Lance's first 49ers start ESPN • Oct 10, 2021
• 49ers, Cardinals React to Trey Lance's First NFL Start 49ers.com • Oct 11, 2021