“I feel like I let Trey down!” 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan takes full responsibility for the ‘bad’ treatment Trey Lance received from San Francisco
Kyle Shanahan did not want to keep hold of Trey Lance as it would have stunted his growth.
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Kyle Shanahan feels he let Trey Lance down (Image via IMAGO)
Kyle Shanahan spoke for the first time after Trey Lance‘s trade to the Dallas Cowboys. The 49ers head coach feels like he let one of the biggest prospects on his team down.
The San Francisco 49ers were in a pickle about their quarterback room. Although the primary center was predetermined, it was the backup spot that was up for debate. It was a two-way battle between Sam Darnold and Trey Lance to decide the winner. In the end, the former New York Jets player received the nod ahead of the former first-round pick.
As per Shanahan, the 49ers wanted to keep him, but he was free to look for a trade partner. “I had a tough conversation with him,” he said. “I told him he was going to be the 3. If he could find another opportunity that was good, we’d allow him to do that.”
When asked about whether he would have preferred that the situation turn out differently, Shanahan said,” I always feel like I let Trey down. I wanted him to come here, and I believed in him before we took him.”
The 49ers traded three first-round picks to sign Trey Lance in 2021. However, his stay at Levi’s Stadium wasn’t pleasant. The North Dakota State graduate broke his finger against the Raiders in his rookie season and had to learn to throw with his other hand.
“That really hurt him at first,” Shanahan continued. “Because he had to adjust how he threw. I always felt for him. Sometimes things just don’t work out.”
Kyle Shanahan revealed why they couldn’t keep Trey Lance
Lance was up against him when he hurt his hand. But they still had breathing space until the 49ers signed Brock Purdy as the last pick of the 2022 NFL draft. The man from Iowa State was thrown into the fire as starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was carted off early in the season. Purdy replied with 1374 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and a playoff appearance.
As Jimmy G left for Sin City, the 49ers unanimously chose Purdy as their No. 1. But the woe did not end for Trey Lance, as they signed free agent Sam Darnold in the offseason.
However, he had the preseason to prove himself, which did not go as planned. Despite boasting a lower pass completion percentage (66.7) than Darnold (72.7), he had a better passer rating (101.2 to 95.5) and also scored an additional passer touchdown.
“I felt it was time to move on, for him and for us,” Kyle Shanahan said. “We’d love to keep him, but the clock ran out. We had to make a tough decision.” Trey Lance did not play against the Dallas Cowboys yesterday. He is expected to travel to Texas for an official reveal.
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Ishan Misra
(3023 Articles Published)