Trey Lance is expected to be back in the building Thursday and the plan is for him to play in the preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers.
General manager John Lynch, in the first of weekly appearances on the 49ers’ flagship radio station KNBR, did his best to to explain the events of the previous day which found Lance staying away from practice and the club essentially going silent on his status.
Neither coach Kyle Shanahan nor Lynch spoke with the media, choosing instead to use their flagship platform to explain Lance’s reaction to being the No. 3 quarterback behind Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold. Lynch said he never expected the news to get out and that “things don’t stay quiet for long in today’s world.”
Shanahan spoke to KNBR Tuesday afternoon in a taped interview.
The 49ers host the Chargers Friday night at 7 at Levi’s Stadium. Lance has so far been unavailable for comment and the club has no media access scheduled Thursday.
During the course of a 15-minute interview, Lynch maintained “Everybody is in a good place” and that Lance remaining on the 49ers is “the most likely option” going forward as opposed to a trade or release.
Some highlights:
How Lance handled the news
“I can tell you that Trey handled it incredibly well, with class. He was devastated and rightly so. When you put your heart and soul into something, and it doesn’t to fruition you’re going to be devastated. That’s the kind of competitor he is. But we’re in a good place. He’ll be back in the building today and we’re moving forward.”
Why Lance wasn’t at practice.
“It was a gut-punch for Trey. He had really gone for this thing and felt like he was playing well, which he was. I think it was a I think it was a mutual decision, just to go home and take some time.”
Possibility of trade, release or staying on 49ers
“We’re very happy with Trey. That’s probably the most likely option is that he’s here. If we could find a landing spot for Trey that is a really good one for him and works for our organization, that’s not something we turn a blind eye to. But that’s not where our focus is right now. Our focus is on Trey getting back here and us being the best football team . . .right now Trey’s a part of the team and we’re going to move forward with that in mind.”
A report in The Athletic that Lance was being shopped since the draft
“If I responded to every report I’d have no time in my day, but that is not accurate.”
Lance playing vs. the Chargers
“I think that’s the plan. He’s our No. 3 quarterback as we stand right now and I think that would be the expectation that we would see him after Sam’s done tomorrow.”
Whether Lance or his agents have requested a trade
“Trey’s back in the building and we’re going to work. We’re still finishing training camp up. Trey understands that, we understand that. That’s where we’re at.”
The Darnold-Lance competition
“I think we saw the vest out of both of them and they each had their moments, but was really excited to see Sam Darnold and his talents. You could see from afar how talented of a player he is, and you wonder how he’s going to mix with us. We thought he would thrive in our system. He’s done that. I think Trey made incredible leaps and bounds this yera and I think his games showed that. I give him a ton of credit, because we didn’t tailor an offense that highlights a lot of things Trey is able to do, and I think he grew from that.”
Regarding holdout edge rusher Nick Bosa, Lynch conceded some frustration but remains optimistic a deal will get done.
“I don’t like the situation. Since our tenure year, we haven’t had a holdout anywhere towards that magnitude, so not something I’m comfortable with. We’re working really hard to try and change that. We’re in good communication with his reps. He’s a special player, he’s going to get a special contract, I can tell you that. But yeah, we’re getting closer and eager to bring this thing to a close. I think I’ll leave it at that.”