NFL legend Jerry Rice has a lot of faith in San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance. Earlier this week, Rice told NFL Network that he expects the second-year player to have a successful 2022 campaign.
"I was running routes for him," Rice said. "It didn't take me long to really be on the same page with him. He's got that rocket arm, but he's also got that mobility and that vision where he can extend plays and throw the ball downfield. I'm sure, with repetitions on the field, the players really just building around him, he's going to have a successful year this year."
Later at the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament at Lake Tahoe, Rice spoke with Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. He shared one area where Lance could improve. The G.O.A.T. revealed that the speed at which he became accustomed to hauling in passes from Lance was similar to his experiences with Joe Montana and Steve Young.
Maiocco asked what it is like catching a pass from Lance compared to the 49ers' all-time great quarterbacks.
"If you're like 20 yards downfield or more, it's great to have all of that [throwing] velocity," Rice responded on the 49ers Talk podcast. "But those underneath passes is where you've got to tone it down just a little bit, and I think that's an area that he has to work on because he's a gunslinger. And those short passes, right underneath, you just need to dial it back just a little bit.
"But it's a very catchable ball. Very catchable. Joe was more about timing. Steve had a little bit of a more stronger arm, but it was a different spin on that ball also that was a little bit difficult. But I would say, Trey, his balls are very catchable."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Rice below.
