When the San Francisco 49ers decided to trade up inlast year’s draftto get Trey Lance with the third overall pick, they made clear what their quarterback plans would be in the near future. After a rather complicated rookie year, Lance is ready to take the reins in 2022.
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan has already admittedhe expects Jimmy Garoppolo to be traded and Lance has already been practicing as the starting quarterback during the offseason program.
After watching him struggle in his rookie season, some people doubt Lance can become the next franchise quarterback of San Francisco. But for others, he has the potential to cement a legacy. NFL analyst James Jones, for instance, sees similarities between Lance and Aaron Rodgers or Patrick Mahomes.
Trey Lance draws comparisons with Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes
“I believe we are looking at a bonafide superstar like Patrick Mahomes, like Aaron Rodgers,” Jones saidon NFL Network‘s “Total Access,” via Jennifer Lee Chan ofNBC Sports. “We had a small sample size of Aaron Rodgers but all you heard out of the locker room and around Aaron was, ‘Just wait. You wait and see.’
“That was the same thing that was around Patrick Mahomes – a small sample size but everyone is ‘Just wait, this kid is going to be special.’ That’s the same thing that’s coming out of this Niners locker room with Trey Lance.”
Lance has a lot of admirers, especially in San Francisco. The 49ers pulled off a lot of strings to acquire him and now it looks like they’ll give him the keys from day one. Only time will tell whether he proves his fans right.