It's not usual to see young players make an immediate impact, or earn the respect of the locker room in his rookie season. But ever since he made it to the NFL, San Francisco 49ers' Trey Lance has done nothing but draw praise and recognition.
While he wasn't able to take over the starting QB job and had some ups and downs in limited snaps, Lance is one of the most promising players in the league, which is why the Niners have never shied away to let everybody know that he's the future of the franchise.
Even more impressively, Lance hasn't let any of that get into his head. Despite his youth and lack of experience, he's one of the most mature guys you'll find out there, according to Niners star Fred Warner.
NFL News: Fred Warner Lauds Trey Lance's Character
“He’s as mature as they come,” Warner said on The Richard Sherman Podcast. “He’s got the right mindset. He didn’t come in with this cocky arrogance, like, ‘I’m [the No. 3 overall] pick. I’m this. I’m that.’ He knew exactly where he stood."
“He came in, he was hungry to learn, had a thirst for learning… [He] even [asked] defensive players, even myself, how to be a pro, and how to compete, and all this kind of stuff," Warner added. "I think as his confidence continued to grow throughout the year, you started to see those ‘Wow’ moments that we all talk about in the practices.”
Warner Feels The Niners Did A Great Job With His Development
Lance took a step back to Jimmy Garoppolo but was still called upon to showcase his skill set every now and then. That, per Warner, was key in his development and will only give him more confidence going forward:
“I’m really happy with what they did in terms of his plan; let him sit behind Jimmy, learn the offense, learn the system, learn how to be a pro,” Warner said. “He didn’t play college football for a year, played at North Dakota State. I think he has a handful of games that he’s even played at the college level.”
The Niners' QB situation seems settled right now. They continue to look for trade partners for Garoppolo as they're ready to roll with Lance in his sophomore season. Hopefully, he'll turn out to be as good as advertised.
