49ers’ Kyle Shanahan Bluntly Responds to Criticism of Trey Lance

Lance has been subjected to plenty of doubters this week following an up-and-down preseason debut.

The NFL world has not shied away from criticizing 49ers quarterback Trey Lance after his preseason start on Sunday.

While the No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft completed 10-of-15 passes for 112 yards and one touchdown, he was also sacked four times.

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about the criticism toward Lance on Wednesday, and admitted Lance is used to hearing those sort of comments based on the position he’s in.

“It just goes with the territory,” Shanahan said, via NBC Sports. “It goes with it for quarterbacks. It goes with it for anybody who’s a high draft pick but especially a quarterback.

“Trey is extremely smart and very socially aware,” Shanahan said. “He knows how the world works. So he does his best, which I think he does a damn good job of, of trying to block that out and focus on getting better, and I think that’s what he’s done so far.”

Shanahan says the negativity surrounding Lance "goes with the territory" of being a top draft pick pic.twitter.com/4d0Uue7Ehu

— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) August 16, 2023

Last season’s breakout star Brock Purdy will likely be San Francisco’s starter after he returned from an elbow injury. That leaves Lance and another former first-round pick in Sam Darnold to compete for the backup position. It’s quite the change Lance from two seasons ago, when he was hyped up as the 49ers’ next potential franchise quarterback.

Some of the recent criticism Lance has endured includes ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky stating that the quarterback doesn’t fit Shanahan’s offense and that he’s “seen enough” from Lance. Additionally, former NFL executive Michael Lombardi said Lance doesn’t have the “quarterback instinct.”

Lance was named the 49ers’ starter at the beginning of the 2022 season, but then suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the second game of the year and watched as Purdy seized the starting job down the stretch.