That is until the very-interested Dallas Cowboys called.
General manager John Lynch and the Niners ended up shipping Lance, the former No. 3 overall pick, a player for whom they traded significant draft capital, to the Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round pick. A day earlier, Lynch had said the most likely scenario was that Lance remained on the roster this season.
"Well, I think, as I was speaking then, that was the most likely scenario because we had opened discussions with teams, and there was nothing that would have had us inclined to move him," Lynch said Thursday morning on KNBR's "Murph and Mac" show. "And, in the next 24 hours, things changed. And my point of reference there, with Dallas coming up huge, was as to where it was during the previous 48 hours. So that's what I was speaking to.
"Ultimately ... it had to be right for the organization. We also wanted to do right by Trey. And I think, ultimately, that's what we did, and we moved forward. And like I said then, do we take accountability? I do. Yeah, absolutely. You put that much into a pick, and ultimately, it doesn't work out, you have to."
Trading Lance to a hated NFC rival didn't sit well with a lot of fans, though. Apparently, Lynch was well aware of what the public perception might be.
"Well, as they say, tie goes to the runner," Lynch said. "The tie would have gone to someone else, but it wasn't a tie. ... And there were a couple of teams left at the end, and I told the other team, 'I don't want him to go here,' but that's where he ended up."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.
Related News
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers GM John Lynch opens up about wide receiver situation, injuries
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch joined NFL Network's Inside Training Camp Live alongside Maurice Jones-Drew and Alex Smith, where he discussed the team's revamped wide receiver room, recent injuries, and the return of Deebo Samuel. The 49ers' receiving corps... -
49ers Training Camp Day 6: Injuries continue to mount, and other quick hits
The San Francisco 49ers wrapped up day six of training camp, and unfortunately, the biggest storyline continues to be the growing list of injuries. John Chapman, of 49ers Rush, pointed out on X that four of the team's top wide receivers—Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall, Christian... -
49ers training camp Day 8: Brock Purdy stays hot, rookie DT turning heads, and other quick hits
The San Francisco 49ers returned to the practice field Thursday with a lengthy injury list, but Brock Purdy continued to provide plenty of reasons for optimism while a rookie defender continued building momentum. Here are the quick hits from Day 8 of training camp. The 49ers... -
49ers training camp: Brock Purdy dances, Romello Height shines, other practice notes
The San Francisco 49ers held their seventh full training camp practice on Wednesday as they continued preparations for the 2026 NFL season. Defensive end Cameron Sample has not been practicing due to a knee injury. The 49ers waived him ahead of Wednesday's practice as part of...