Insider believes 49ers could trade this QB before season

Insider Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area believes the San Francisco 49ers could shop quarterback Trey Lance before the upcoming season if Lance truly is third on the depth chart behind free-agency signing Sam Darnold.

"This thing will have to play out, but if Trey Lance is the No. 3 guy and the 49ers started getting phone calls about him, I mean, certainly, A, they’d certainly have to listen, but B, there would also have to be the element of okay, he’s No. 3, what’s his future with the 49ers? Is he ever gonna get on the field with the team?" Maiocco remarked during a Thursday appearance on San Francisco sports radio station KNBR. 

According to David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone, Maiocco added during the segment that 2022 rookie sensation Brock Purdy remains "on pace" to start the regular-season opener at the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 10. Purdy underwent surgery on March 10 to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow he suffered in the NFC Championship Game this past January, but the 23-year-old is expected to reclaim the starting job once he's cleared to face live defenses. 

Purdy may receive that clearance before the end of August. 

"I mean, Brock Purdy might not be ready Week 1," Maiocco continued. "Trey Lance could be the starter Week 1, he could be the backup Week 1, he could be the third-string Week 1, or the 49ers might decide that it makes more sense for them to trade him before Week 1. So it’s just wide open right now how that quarterback situation is going to kind of shake out and how they’re going to enter the regular season." 

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported back in June that "there was no trade market" for Lance this offseason and that Darnold "has the edge" to win the QB2 job after Lance suffered a campaign-ending ankle injury last September. Lance still has attempted just 102 career regular-season passes, though, and 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel recently noted that the 2021 first-round draft pick looked much better during springtime workouts than he did last year. 

Meanwhile, a Minnesota Vikings team that could let veteran Kirk Cousins hit free agency after the upcoming season reportedly "talked about" Lance with the 49ers during the scouting combine. It's unclear if the Vikings have any interest in adding Lance to their roster before September.