Trade Buzz Around Trey Lance and the Vikings Returns Once Again

The 49ers named Sam Darnold as their QB2 and are reportedly exploring their options with Lance.

Once again, buzz around the idea of the Vikings and 49ers making a trade involving quarterback Trey Lance has returned.

On Wednesday, the 49ers named Sam Darnold as their backup QB behind starter Brock Purdy, pushing Lance to third on the depth chart. As a result, San Francisco is "exploring options" with Lance, according to NFL Network. And to take things even further, insider Ian Rapaport mentioned the Vikings as a team the 49ers might call.

"As the 49ers weigh options for Trey Lance, calling his hometown team, the Vikings (who were a rumored destination before the Draft) makes sense," Rapaport tweeted. "Nothing is impossible, but MIN has a backup in Nick Mullens and drafted rookie QB in Jaren Hall. Post-draft, these deals are harder."

Speculation about a possible Vikings trade for Lance has been going on all offseason. I dove into the idea of a Kirk Cousins-for-Lance deal way back in January. Then there was a pre-draft report that the two teams discussed Lance at the combine. But then in June, Adam Schefter said there was never any real momentum towards the 49ers trading Lance.

It's possible things could change now. Lance wasn't able to beat out Purdy or Darnold during training camp and the first two preseason games, and it probably doesn't make sense for the 49ers to have a third-string QB with a $9.3 million cap hit this year. Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in 2021, is in a weird situation because he just hasn't played that much football, dating back to his one year as the starter at North Dakota State. The 23-year-old from Marshall, MN, had his NFL career derailed by injuries and has now been surpassed by two QBs on the 49ers' depth chart.

Does it make sense for the Vikings to explore a Lance trade? Maybe. They seem set at QB right now with Cousins, Nick Mullens, and rookie Jaren Hall on the roster. Then again, Cousins is a free agent after this season, Mullens is a career backup, and Hall is a fifth-rounder who still has a lot of work to do to even be considered an NFL backup. Despite Lance's struggles, the physical traits that made him a top-three pick two years ago still exist.

There's a lot to consider here. What would it cost to acquire Lance? Would the Vikings deem it worthwhile to take on his contract? What would that mean for Hall?

The reality is that a deal seems unlikely. Lance simply needs as many game reps as possible, and the Vikings aren't in position to give him those this year. It's going to be quite interesting to see what ends up happening here.

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