General manager John Lynch said third-string quarterback Trey Lance likely will remain with the San Francisco 49ers.
“The most likely option is that he’s here,” Lynch told KNBR on Thursday, per the San Jose Mercury News.
Lynch denied the team has been trying to trade the former No. 3 overall pick all offseason but said he wouldn’t turn a blind eye to a deal that could benefit all parties.
San Francisco announced Wednesday that Sam Darnold, another former No. 3 pick, had earned the backup role behind Brock Purdy entering the 2023 season.
Lance, 23, was not at the portion of Wednesday’s practice that was open to the public. However, Lynch confirmed Thursday that Lance was at 49ers headquarters and preparing to play as QB3 in Friday night’s final preseason game against the visiting Los Angeles Chargers.
Lance entered the 2022 season as the 49ers’ starting quarterback before fracturing his right ankle in the second game of the season. The injury, which included ligament damage, required two surgeries — the second to remove hardware from the first that was causing irritation in the ankle.
He is set to count $9.3 million against the salary cap this season. The team moved from No. 12 in a trade with the Miami Dolphins to select Lance third in the 2021 draft. That transaction cost the 49ers first-round picks in 2021, ’22 and ’23 in addition to a third-rounder in ’22.
Lance has appeared in just eight games (four starts) over his first two seasons, completing 56 of 102 passes for 797 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions.
–Field Level Media