"A week into training camp, coaches believed Lance had grasped Shanahan's intricate offense so quickly that they might be able to accelerate the plan and start him right away," Michael Silver reported this week via Bally Sports. "Then he leveled off, lost confidence and clearly became a less appealing option than Garoppolo — who had his best training camp as a Niner, by far— though Shanahan and his assistants were excited about the prospect of using a 'Trey Lance Package' to keep teams off balance."
The report makes it sound like the coaches lost some faith in the rookie after his impressive start to training camp, especially if that start had them thinking that Lance could be a viable option as the 49ers' Week 1 starter.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters before today's practice. He was asked about the validity of Silver's report.
"Yeah, he's gone up, he's gone down, just like every player in here," Shanahan said of Lance. "So, when somebody has a report that he had a really good first week of training camp, he did have a really good first week of training camp. He also had a good fourth week, a good third week. I can't remember exactly how it goes.
"So there's probably some accuracy to that report, which I think would be accurate with every player on our team."
Shanahan has been hesitant to put Lance on the football field for extended playing time. That was partially explained by the coach's confidence in Jimmy Garoppolo. Some of it was not wanting to throw the rookie into a meaningful game before he was properly prepared. Lance's knee sprain from his Week 5 start against the Arizona Cardinals may have also contributed to his lack of on-field action.
"The [Week 8] Chicago game, I didn't really plan on doing much of [using Lance in packages] because you're just coming off an injury," Shanahan said. "... Going into the Arizona game [in Week 9], I thought we would do some, but the way the game went, we just never got into a rhythm offensively. You guys could see that. I didn't feel like, at the time, to mix him in and change more stuff up."
The 49ers will host the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night at Levi's Stadium.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
"No surprise": 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall's confidence shines in career-best performance
Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall delivered his best performance as a pro on Monday night, racking up 141 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions against the Detroit Lions. The impressive showing offered a glimpse of why the San Francisco 49ers selected Pearsall in the... -
Brock Purdy grateful for strong relationship and support from this 49ers teammate
Tight end George Kittle is known for being one of the most upbeat and positive personalities in the San Francisco 49ers locker room. Even amid a challenging 6-9 season, Kittle remains optimistic and is committed to giving maximum effort as the team heads into the final two... -
What Kyle Shanahan, others said after 49ers' 40-34 loss vs. Lions
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and several others spoke with reporters after Monday's 40-34 Week 17 loss to the Detroit Lions. Here is what they said. Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff. 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan Opening... -
Nick Bosa on early offseason start for 49ers: "We kind of needed it as a team"
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged that while he'd prefer to be preparing for the playoffs, starting the offseason work earlier could prove valuable. With the team's streak of deep playoff runs at an end, the 49ers enter their season finale at 6-10,...