Head coach Kyle Shanahan recently said he hoped to keep Lance on the roster this season. However, he didn't close the door on a potential trade.
"We'll always try to do right for Trey," Shanahan said. "If there's a better situation that his heart's in something like that, we're going to make sure not to do something that hurts him in that way."
Lance entered the 2022 season as the 49ers' starting quarterback but suffered a season-ending ankle injury during Week 2. Jimmy Garoppolo took over but sustained a broken foot in early December, opening the door for then-rookie Brock Purdy.
Purdy helped guide the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game before suffering a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. Despite the injury and lengthy recovery from surgery, the team openly declared all offseason that a healthy Purdy would be the starter for the 2023 season.
Lance entered an offseason competition with free-agent acquisition Sam Darnold for the QB2 job. Darnold won the job, leaving Lance's future with San Francisco unclear.
The 49ers made the former North Dakota State quarterback the No. 3 overall pick in 2021, sending three first-round picks and a third-round pick to the Miami Dolphins to move up to select the quarterback. That disastrous trade will likely end up being one of the worst in franchise history, given the outcome. However, the team has still managed to reach the NFC Championship Game in three of the last four seasons.
Lance started just four games since entering the league. He completed 54.9 percent of his passes for 797 yards with five touchdown passes and three interceptions, adding 54 rushing attempts for 235 yards and a score through his eight total appearances.
Lance finished last season 15-of-31 for 194 yards and one interception before his injury. He will return to Levi's Stadium on October 8 when the 49ers host the Cowboys.