Trey Lance throwing three interceptions during Monday's practice generated a lot of headlines. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback has had an up and down training camp, which is somewhat expected given he is going against what should be one of the top defenses in the league.

General manager John Lynch believes the media tends to overanalyze what happens in practice. That's especially true these days when social media helps spread reports and opinions quickly. That wasn't as much of an issue during Lynch's playing days.


"I feel so bad, another thing about the modern-day training camp, it's been going on for some time, but these guys, as they're out here working in practice, it's so scrutinized," Lynch said on KNBR's Tolbert & Copes show. "This guy threw two picks today. Well, the whole story is not always on the quarterback. ... I'll never forget the day that Jimmy (Garoppolo) threw five [interceptions] on five consecutive [passes in 2019], and then we went to a Super Bowl.

"It's really tough, but that's also why those guys get paid the big bucks. It's why it's the position. What I know about Trey, I think a big advantage he has is, usually, when a quarterback goes that high, they're going to an organization that's in a rough spot. I think Trey has the good fortune of coming to a place that's got depth, that's got quality at a lot of positions. So it doesn't all have to be about him, and I think Kyle's doing a great job, along with the coaching staff, of ingraining that in him."

Lance being last year's No. 3 overall pick and the 49ers' willingness to part ways with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo have put a lot of pressure on the second-year quarterback's shoulders. Of course, that's part of the job description.

"There's so much focus on that position, and the reason being because when you find one who's a difference-maker, your team is really well set for a long time," Lynch shared. "And so it's what everyone is striving for. The truth of the matter is we have a ton of belief in Trey Lance. And I think sometimes people think we're hedging or we're qualifying, but the truth of the matter, we know, I know, Kyle (Shanahan) knows, until you go do it over an extended period of time, no one knows.

"We have a ton of belief in the young man. That's what caused us to bring him in and to trade so much to bring in a guy like that. So we have a ton of belief. We continue to."


While evaluating the quarterback coming out of college, Lynch and Shanahan fell in love with Lance's potential and what that could mean for the 49ers' offense. But there is so much more to the 22-year-old player.

"He's got tremendous arm talent," Lynch said. "He's got tremendous athleticism. And then, I think the spirit, we call it here, the intangibles, he checks all those boxes as well. We also believe he's got incredible fortitude because you have to be mentally tough at that position.

"There's a few guys who have come into this league, Pat Mahomes being one, who have made it look relatively easy from the beginning. That's few and far between, though. We'll see. Hopefully, it is that (for Lance). I would love that. ... I think the fact of the matter is it's going to take some time to see exactly what we have. But we don't just blindly believe in him. He gives you reason to believe day in and day out because we believe he's made of the right stuff."

You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.



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