Trey Lance's Fit on the 49ers is Becoming Clear

After his preseason performance against the Raiders, it's becoming clear what the fit is for Trey Lance on the 49ers.

Trey Lance put together an impressive stat line in the 49ers' first preseason game against the Raiders.

He went 10-of-15 for 112 yards, one touchdown, and a passer rating of 111. From that alone, it looks like he had a solid outing. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Lance was no better than average with some porous moments. 

Even his lone touchdown pass was a doozy, which is the play that is being spotlighted the most with him. It was a pass that hit a Raiders defender in the hands, but the defender bobbled it and allowed the ball to fall into the hands of Ross Dwelley. Despite how much of a doozy it was, it didn't totally bother Kyle Shanahan.

"What I like is he didn't react and he saw a hole and tried to rip it," said Shanahan on Lance's touchdown pass. "And there was some guy coming from the backside that he didn't see, but it wasn't a gun shy throw. Those are things you learn from. I kind of like seeing him trying to make that play, regardless of the result. And obviously we got a little bit lucky, it ended up being a good result. And I wouldn't have been happy if it was a pick, but I can understand what he saw rolling out to the left."

Shanahan goes on to say that he wants to see Lance play a little bit faster and more aggressive, which are traits that went into that touchdown throw. He would just prefer it to be a cleaner execution. All in all, there wasn't a ton to critique Lance's performance. However, he still looks incredibly raw and the only way to grow out of that is with playing more.

That is when it became clear about Lance's fit on the 49ers -- there is none.

He doesn't fit on this team. It's pointless now. Lance is more raw than a piece of chicken leaving a Foster Farms warehouse to the grocery store. The critique from Shanahan on Lance's touchdown plays into that rawness he has. The only way for him to elevate from raw to seasoned is by playing. Practice reps are moot at this point because that is essentially theory in scientific terms. What good is theory if the application isn't ideal?

I get that it was his first game back since fracturing his ankle, hence why I am not being too critical of him. Rust is to be considered along with growing comfortable in a live game again. But he'll only get that chance by playing in games and outside of the preseason, the odds are low for him to get any time. The 49ers are not the team for Lance anymore. It isn't possible for them to let Lance go through his growing pains, or rather they aren't willing to do it. That is why the 49ers are going with Brock Purdy as the starter because he is further along than Lance.

And the unfortunate part is he doesn't have any trade value, so unless the 49ers are willing to cut him (they won't), he is stuck in a backup role until Brock Purdy gets hurt. That is assuming he is even the direct backup to Purdy and not third on the depth chart behind Sam Darnold. It could go either way at this point.

I don't wanna say that Lance is a bad player. His performance against the Raiders wasn't good, but he's more of a proponent of being underdeveloped. It's due to the poor handling of Lance from the 49ers when they sat him in 2021 and used him as a scout team quarterback. They thought they could copy the "Chiefs/Mahomes model" as if it was that simple. It was always a foolish belief. Then, it is the cumulative injuries Lance has sustained since entering the league.

The best way to describe Lance's NFL career so far is with the novel "A Series of Unfortunate Events" because that's all it's been for him. He isn't being given a fair shot and that's fine. The NFL has NEVER been fair. It's the reality of the situation, and one that Lance must continue to endure and make the best out of until he gets to a team that will give him the time of day.