What Losing Trey Lance Means For the San Fransisco 49ers

 

The San Francisco 49ers have lost their starting quarterback for the remainder of the 2022 NFL season. Trey Lance broke his ankle in his team's 27-7 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon. The Niners' longtime starter Jimmy Garoppolo stepped in after Lance went down and more than made up for the void left by the younger QB. Jimmy G's performance shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, considering that he led the way under center for each of the last four seasons in San Fran, aiding them en route to an appearance in Super Bowl LIV (54) and last year's NFC Championship game.

Knowing of the success that Garoppolo helped accrue for the 49ers, it brings into question why Lance was made the starter in the first place. It all boils down to talent. While he has played a part in San Fransisco's recent success, most view Jimmy Garoppolo as a beneficiary rather than a key contributor to said triumphs. Accordingly, those atop the 49ers organization made the bold choice to trade significant draft capital to trade up in the 2021 NFL draft, where they eventually drafted Trey Lance third overall.

Lance was profiled as a high-ceiling prospect coming into the league, and many felt that the 49ers were an ideal landing spot for him. However, his play in the short time he has gotten to see the field hasn't yielded promising results. Instead, it has left most of us at an impasse, uncertain of whether he merely needs more time to grow or simply isn't good enough to play at an NFL level. With this season-ending injury keeping him sidelined for another year, it brings into question where San Fransisco goes from here at quarterback.

Per Jimmy Garoppolo's restructured contract, he can walk in free agency next offseason. If and when he does, the Niners' will be left with a young, inexperienced QB coming off of a significant leg injury, who may not even be a starting-caliber player, tasked with leading his team to Super Bowl contention. That said, I ask of you: if you were John Lynch, GM of the 49ers, how would you handle this situation?

It may be unfair to Lance, but things move quickly in the NFL. And since the 49ers are already built to compete at the highest level, they're inclined to not wait for their unproven prospect to get right and play elite ball. He wouldn't be the first player to have his career undone so early (see Josh Rosen). It will all depend on what becomes of the remaining season for San Fransisco. 

Maybe Jimmy Garoppolo plays well and regains his starting job long-term, assuming he decides to re-sign. The 49ers could try to trade up for another QB prospect in the 23' draft. They might even try to recruit a proven commodity like Tom Brady, who seemingly tried to leave Tampa Bay this past offseason, or Lamar Jackson, who is in the midst of failing contract negotiations with the Ravens. Other potential placeholders in 2023 may include Ryan Tannehill, Carson Wentz, Teddy Bridgewater, or Baker Mayfield if their current situations don't work out. 

Unlikely as these events may be, the larger point I'm getting at is that this season just became far more pivotal for the 49ers than we initially expected. It'll be pretty interesting to see how they manage themselves out of this predicament for the remainder of the year and going into the next.