Trey Lance's stock has never been lower. At least, that is the perception from those outside the San Francisco 49ers—the media, analysts, and many fans. The quarterback hasn't had a lot of opportunities to prove himself. He's started only four career NFL games. However, he also hasn't taken advantage of his few opportunities.
Sunday's preseason loss to the Las Vegas Raiders is an excellent example. Three 49ers quarterbacks played in that game, and Lance's play was the least exceptional.
One 49ers great still believes in Lance but believes he has a good idea of why the third-year quarterback is stumbling.
"I'm really proud of Trey because the whole offseason, you know, he has the injuries, he's been jammed up, Brock [Purdy] goes on this incredible run that is a national, international story, and he hangs in there, and then spends the offseason going and working on things that he's not great at," Steve Young said Wednesday on KNBR.
"How many times have I watched quarterbacks in their offseason go work on things that they're great at already? Enhancing the thing that I'm already good at. What about the thing you suck at? Like, let's go work at that. ... There's a humility in Trey that I love, that he's going to go work at it, and he's gotten better. He is a better player after this offseason."
Lance's critics would disagree, especially after Sunday's outing at Allegiant Stadium. Lance will have another opportunity to change some minds on Saturday against the Denver Broncos.
However, time may be running out for the former No. 3 overall pick. Lance and Sam Darnold have been competing for the QB2 job behind Brock Purdy, and the former seemingly isn't making a solid case for himself.
"And I don't know that he's not seeing it," Young said. "I think what's happened is he's now squeezed, where every throw is a referendum on whether he's any good or not because he doesn't have a lot of college or even pro money in the bank. Not literal money, but just the ability to kind of go out and play and show people what [he] can do. And so there's all this expectation and aspiration and fear and anxiety and every throw ...
"Kyle's said, Brock's the guy, and now Sam Darnold comes in, and just listen to Kyle. Kyle loves Sam. So now Trey's in the middle of this, and every throw is critiqued, and how much better is he? And what can he become and who is he? ... And I think I've been there, where every time I go out for a series, something great's got to happen.
"And all of a sudden, you're not free, you're not relaxed, you're pressing, and you're pressing every throw, and all of a sudden, you're late for a throw, and then you'll get sacked, and you go down. You're like, Holy crap, how many bad things can happen? So you get into a bad spot. You know he's competent."
You believes if it weren't for Purdy, the 49ers would have been comfortable with Lance being the starter heading into the 2023 season. Even with Purdy, if the team had not brought in Darnold, there would have been no issue letting Lance serve as QB2 and continue developing.
Of course, that isn't the case.
"But now, Trey's in a spot where he has to go out every practice and try to prove that he's worth hanging in there with, and that's a tough spot to be in," Young added.
Young reiterates that he still believes in the 23-year-old quarterback, saying, "I think he's a good to very good processor. I just think he's jammed up, and [he feels like] he's got to be perfect."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Young below.