49ers’ Lance sounding like a different man
Trey Lance had something to say to his critics Tuesday, and he did so with a soft touch.
How does he feel about the offseason conversation swirling around him, some of it negative, after his up-anddown rookie season? The San Francisco 49ers’ 22-year-old quarterback smiled. And he launched into an answer that was pointed and polite.
“In the most respectful way possible — it doesn’t change how I feel about you guys as people — but it’s not my job to care what you guys say or anyone else on social media,” Lance said. “For me, I care about what the guys in the locker room think and what my coaching staff thinks. And at the end of that, that’s my job.
“You guys, unfortunately, aren’t the ones that are making decisions for me or really have any effect on me in, again, the most respectful way possible.”
The response was part of a nine-minute news conference in which Lance did nothing to answer those questions — will he be a bust or a brilliant No. 3 draft pick? — but he did provide evidence that he’ll look more comfortable off the field in his second season.
After a rookie year in which he was mostly cautious and bland behind a podium — often saying he was “super excited” about any number of topics — Lance sounded more at ease Tuesday in his first public comments in four months. He began by offering a good-to-see-you greeting to reporters before fielding the first question. He ended by revealing that All-Pro inside linebacker Fred Warner was the defense’s biggest trash talker in practice.
“Fred says some disrespectful things, I’ll tell you that,” he said.
When asked about the different tenor of his answers, Lance looked amused: “This is the headline question, huh?”
Perhaps the difference in Lance’s demeanor wasn’t surprising given what has changed since the 2021 season ended.
Lance is now the No. 1 QB, not Jimmy Garoppolo’s understudy, and can feel comfortable being a bit more assertive. For those who are still wondering about the QB depth chart: Head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged Tuesday that Garoppolo “most likely” will be traded once he recovers from shoulder surgery and free safety Jimmie Ward, the 49ers’ longest-tenured player, referred to the young QB with two career starts as a “team leader.”
Tight end George Kittle said Lance’s leap in confidence was noticeable.
“I definitely think he’s taken ownership, for sure,” Kittle said. “You can kind of tell that in meetings, he’ll talk. He’s assuming responsibility . ... He’s letting his personality show a little bit. And he’s going to be out there slinging the rock around.”
Lance also should be more comfortable slinging the football after he was hindered by a slow-to-heal right index finger last year. Lance on Tuesday provided more detail about the fallout from the chipped bone he suffered in the preseason finale in late August. The biggest issue: His finger remained bent after the fracture healed, and it didn’t fully straighten until about a month after the season.
The injury presumably played a role in a 71-attempt season that included a 57.7 completion percentage, which ranked 44th among the 48 QBs with at least 70 pass attempts.
“I think the finger for me was the biggest thing just as far as throwing the ball,” Lance said. “I kind of had to learn how to throw the ball differently without using my pointer finger, I guess, just because of where (the injury) was at throughout the year.”
Lance acknowledged he often felt like he was “swimming” throughout his rookie season, noting it began when he began trying to learn Shanahan’s complex offense at rookie minicamp shortly after being drafted. A year later, recalling how he appreciated his new teammates texting him welcome-to-the-49ers greetings after he entered the NFL, he returned the favor: Lance texted each of the 49ers’ nine draft picks after they were selected last month.
“Just texted them saying congratulations, can’t wait to get them out here,” Lance said. “Most of them texted back. Most of them.”
Lance smiled: “I’m just playing with you.”