Trey Lance shows his potential in first start for the 49ers

In his first start with the San Francisco 49ers, Trey Lance showed the same promise that got him drafted third overall.

San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback Trey Lance got his first chance at a start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals after coming in for relief last week for Jimmy Garoppolo. The anticipation was massive for 49ers fans and in NFL Draft circles, as the rookie was part of a massive trade up before last spring’s draft and was loaded with potential.

The 49ers fell to the Cardinals Sunday 17-10, and while the offense didn’t look at its peak, Lance didn’t play bad football. Lance did throw an early interception on a throw way over his intended receiver’s head, something that could’ve had some nerves attached to it. A reset of his feet could’ve helped as well.

Things settled down after that. It was clear that head coach Kyle Shanahan brought out the playbook he designed for Lance, which included plenty of quarterback power and designed QB runs off of motion to give Lance a chance to utilize his power as a runner. There were chances to give Lance easy reads on bootlegs with a moving pocket, but Lance took over for some drives with his velocity and confidence to challenge tight windows. He hit both Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk on such plays throughout the afternoon.

Obviously, some chances failed and Lance did miss a few throws wildly, but growing pains had to be expected when a rookie quarterback is acclimating and a new scheme is being run. The important thing in this game was to see the promise that Trey Lance brings to the 49ers, and that was achieved. The offense will be multiple in nature, with a focus on a multiple run game, motion, and shots down the field. Missing George Kittle was tough, and getting him back to get the engine moving. Still, overall, Lance had a solid outing and proved that he will eventually become the long-term guy in San Francisco.