Does Kyle Shanahan Lack Confidence in Trey Lance?

Actions speak louder than words.

As a former NFL scout, the San Francisco 49ers’ love affair with Trey Lance has never made sense to me, and it is nothing against the 49ers’ fanbase. That is because my evaluation of Lance started long before the 49ers ever selected him.

The first time I ever saw Lance play quarterback was in the fall of 2020. A podcast had asked me to look at a handful of prospects for the show, and Lance happened to be one of them. At the time, I had no idea who he was.

Lance was a smaller school prospect from North Dakota State. As I watched him play, my first thought was, “A poor man’s Donovan McNabb.”

I did not see anything that impressed me in Lance’s games against Central Arkansas, James Madison, the University of North Dakota or Butler. My notes read, “Maybe a fifth- or sixth-round prospect, maybe someone who can make a practice squad and run the scout team.”

I never imagined Lance, who had attempted merely 318 passes in college and 113 passes in high school would be hailed by the media as one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2021 NFL draft. The same Lance I had watched struggle on film to complete short passes against Central Arkansas.

Even more baffling to me was the 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s developing fascination with Lance. When I watched Lance at his Pro Days, he reminded me of Cleveland's bust DeShone Kizer.

It was then the unthinkable happened. Shanahan, a man who grew up around Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway when his dad was the head coach of the Broncos, mortgaged the 49ers’ future for Lance.

Shanahan traded three No. 1 draft picks to move up to the No. 3 spot to select Lance, right after Jacksonville picked Trevor Lawrence and the Jets’ selected Zach Wilson.

This is where the question begins -- the question about Shanahan’s real confidence level in Lance.

Jacksonville traded their veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew to make way for Lawrence. The Jets dealt Sam Darnold to Carolina. 

The 49ers did not follow suit.

San Francisco held onto its veteran signal-caller, Jimmy Garoppolo, and continues to. And the reality of 2021 is that Shanahan’s “Trey Package” became less and less prevalent until it disappeared entirely.

Sure, there is “talk” of Garoppolo being traded, but the actions of San Francisco were to restructure the deals of other players to keep the quarterback who led them to this year's NFC Championship game (and a Super Bowl in 2019).

If Lance is the answer, why didn’t the 49ers make the same commitment to Lance as Jacksonville made to Lawrence and New York made to Wilson?

If Lance is the answer, why couldn’t he beat out Garoppolo in 2021?

If Lance is the answer, what happened to the “Trey Package?”

If Lance is the answer, why didn’t Shanahan go with him for the playoffs after the late season Houston game?

If Lance is the answer, why is Garoppolo still hanging around?

If Lance is the answer then why hasn’t Shanahan come out and at the very least said, “Trey Lance is the starting QB of the San Francisco 49ers in 2022?”

Actions speak louder than words.