49ers to use Sam Darnold as QB2; Trey Lance not at practice

 

[August 24, 2023]  The San Francisco 49ers have tabbed Sam Darnold as their backup quarterback over former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance.

Brock Purdy is the team's starter, and it could be Brandon Allen, not Lance, as the third-stringer.

Lance, 23, was not at the portion of practice open to the media on Wednesday when Darnold worked behind Purdy in 11-on-11 drills.

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan told KNBR radio later Wednesday that Lance was offered the opportunity to skip practice to clear his head.

"Watching how Trey was when we talked, we thought it was better to, 'Hey, take the day off, clear your head some, we'll talk later in the afternoon and get you back in there tomorrow,'" Shanahan said.

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.

Jimmy Garoppolo replaced Lance but sustained a broken left foot in Week 13, leading to the emergence of the wunderkind Purdy.

Shanahan said the current depth chart doesn't mean the pecking order is set in stone.

"I also don't think Trey, this means that he can't be with us or someone else ever in the future," Shanahan said Wednesday. "I mean, this is just where camp went right now."

The 49ers signed Darnold, the 2018 draft's No. 3 overall pick, as a free agent in March. The 26-year-old has had a strong showing during the offseason.

Lance could be made available via trade, but his salary isn't conducive to a deal. NFL Network reported the 49ers were "exploring options" with Lance.

Lance is set to count $9.3 million against the Niners' salary cap this season. Further, the team moved from No. 12 in a trade with the Miami Dolphins to select Lance No. 3 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 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.

Darnold lost a competition with Baker Mayfield to start for the Carolina Panthers in 2022 and was on the shelf with an ankle injury most of last season. He was traded to the Panthers from the New York Jets in April 2021.

Darnold started six games in 2022 upon his return from injury, throwing for 1,143 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions.

In 56 career games (55 starts) with the Panthers and Jets, Darnold has completed 59.7 percent of his passes for 11,767 yards, 61 TDs and 55 INTs. He also has rushed for 12 touchdowns.

--Field Level Media

[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.