49ers reportedly receiving trade interest in Trey Lance

After following Brock Purdy‘s rise in the final weeks of the 2022 season, teams around the league have their eyes on another San Francisco 49ers quarterback.

“Several” teams have contacted the 49ers about Trey Lance, NFL Media reported Wednesday. While teams are showing interest in the 22-year-old QB, San Francisco reportedly hasn’t been shopping him and no deal appears imminent.

The 49ers traded three first-round picks in order to move up and draft Lance with the No. 3 overall selection in 2021, but he hasn’t seen the field much in his first two seasons in the league. He backed up Jimmy Garoppolo in 2021 before taking over as the 49ers’ starting quarterback heading into last season. However, Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2.

Garoppolo became the starting quarterback following that injury, but he eventually suffered a season-ending injury of his own in Week 13, making way for Purdy to start. The seventh-round rookie shined in the final weeks of the regular season and in the postseason, throwing for 1,943 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions as the 49ers went 7-1 in the games he started.

In the end, though, Purdy suffered the same injury fate as Lance and Garoppolo. The rookie tore the UCL in his throwing elbow in San Francisco’s NFC Championship Game loss. After having surgery to repair the injury in March, Purdy said in a recent interview with Yahoo Sports that he’s “not really sure” if he’ll be able to play in 2023.

At the NFL owners meetings in March, the 49ers had expressed optimism that Purdy would be ready to return at some point during training camp and said he has the inside track to be the team’s starter.

“I think Brock has earned the right with the way he played,” 49ers GM John Lynch said.

“He’s probably the leader in the clubhouse. I’ll let Kyle [Shanahan] make those kinds of decisions. But I know when we talk, I think Brock has probably earned that right to be the guy. If we were to line up, he’d probably take that first snap.”

If Purdy can’t go, Lance and former Jets and Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold would likely duke it out for the starting job. Lance is expected to be cleared to return by the time organized team activities begin in May, according to Lynch. As for Darnold, the 49ers signed him this offseason after Garoppolo left as a free agent, signing with the Raiders.

With Purdy’s availability uncertain and Garoppolo gone, it would be a risk to deal Lance.

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