Trey Lance as a Person is "Beloved" by Teammates but not as a Player

Lance as a person is "beloved" by his teammates but not as a player.

The NFL offseason tends to bring a lot of "investigators" out.

Anything that is said or occurs gets read into, and sometimes read way too deeply. So when 49ers players such as Kyle Juszczyk, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey were going to NBA playoff games to watch the Golden State Warriors with newcomer Sam Darnold, it brought a lot of investigators out (myself included).

These star players on the 49ers were already being so acquainted with a newcomer in Darnold, but never once went out with Lance like that this offseason together. It was curious as to why this was, but apparently it isn't because Lance isn't liked or Darnold is preferred. That much was made clear when Juszczyk appeared on the HAM podcast with Guy Haberman and John Middlekauff. 

"Trey is beloved in our locker room," said Juszczyk. "Everybody loves Trey. The dude really does work his ass off. He's super personable. He is a very well-liked guy. So for whatever reason that he wasn't at the basketball game, it's not because we don't like him."

I actually considered that maybe the reason Lance doesn't hang with them is because of his age. He barely turned 23 years old in May, so perhaps that plays a part when it is the offseason. Either way, it's been refreshing to hear various players go to bat for Lance. Whether it is saying he has improved, to saying how much they love him. It's nice to know he isn't dislike in any way. 

However, what is becoming clear to me is that Lance as a person is "beloved" by his teammates but not as a player. Most of the compliments he receives are about his growth, maturity, and who he is. It's never or hardly about anything on the field. This goes back to almost a year ago when the 2022 regular season was nearing. The 49ers had officially brought back Jimmy Garoppolo, but there was reportedly a handful of players in favor of Garoppolo over Lance to start.

Lance as a player is not in the good graces of his teammates. It's not malicious or any sort of disliking at all. It really is as simple as his teammates, who are all veterans in the peak of their powers, are not willing to wait around anymore. They want a Super Bowl win and do not care to be patient at the cost of winning games for him. If Lance as a player was truly beloved, then there would be more faith in him to ascend as a season progresses. To be there and support his growth with the hope that they can help expedite it. 

But the players (and coaches alike) would rather go with Brock Purdy because he is more polished than Lance who is still raw. I would even venture to guess that a lot of players are in favor of Darnold as well, especially once he gets fully embedded into the offense. Patience is just not a virtue with the 49ers and that stems from their head coach Kyle Shanahan who sets that tone. The only way Lance can start to turn heads is by impressing in training camp, then putting it together in the preseason. 

Only then will belief and support in him grow.