With quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's likely departure from the San Francisco 49ers on the horizon, rookie quarterback Trey Lance has recently taken some flack, with high-profile analysts like ESPN's Booger McFarland and CBS Sports's Pete Prisco stating that he isn't "ready" to take over as the starter for the 49ers.
While they may be well-known, their claims are simply unwarranted. Lance has played ten quarters of football in the NFL, with almost all of those minutes coming in a competitive atmosphere, given he only lost by a touchdown in his first career start against the Arizona Cardinals and then won a must-win game against the Houston Texans—by a wide margin—in his second start.
Last offseason, Lance was obviously put through a training regimen prior to getting drafted, meaning he did not get the crucial months of practicing with his teammates that a normal NFL offseason provides.
So, how impactful will this offseason be for Trey Lance?
Well, general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan stated in their post-season press conference that they plan to give Lance some free time in the offseason before beginning training with Brandon Aiyuk and Nate Sudfeld in Southern California, alongside quarterbacks coach John Beck, prior to April's mini-camp. Remember, all of this itinerary will be a first for Lance in his NFL career.
In addition, Lance "was in consideration" to start at the beginning of the season, per Jim Trotter, before a finger injury he sustained in the preseason derailed those hopes. Then, prior to Week 18, Lance was again given consideration to start, although the team ultimately decided to stick with consistency, electing to go with Jimmy Garoppolo for the remainder of the season.
Now, with an entire offseason at his disposal, there are endless possibilities for Lance.
Last season, Lance spent the majority of his practice time on the scout team, where he mimicked the play of that week's opposing quarterbacks to help the 49ers' defense prepare, giving him an increased amount of knowledge in different scenarios.
With a focus on strictly Kyle Shanahan's offense, along with the veteran coach being able to gameplan specifically for Lance, there should be some added momentum from the duo's performance in Week 17, when Shanahan admitted he didn't know exactly how to call plays in the first half for Lance.
Earlier this offseason, footage leaked of Lance's throws during practice, where ball placement was pristine on multiple difficult throws, providing some optimism for what's to come in 2022.
This offseason is going to be extremely important, not only for Lance, but for the 49ers, who could change up their offensive attack with new pieces added to the mix on the coaching staff and the roster, like assistant head coach Anthony Lynn and potential starter Aaron Banks.
But, regardless of what's being portrayed in the media currently, it's increasingly likely that the young quarterback is San Francisco's signal-caller in 2022, and he'll benefit from being the main option under center throughout minicamp, training camp, and the preseason.
