Trey Lance was Bay Area’s big hope before Purdy slid in and took over. Before all that went down though, Lance entered the San Francisco 49ers locker room with a lot of doubts. Being a top pick for a top contender might be a dream for many draft prospects, yet it was Lance’s reality. But getting into the team, the young QB realized, he was up to the mercy of starting quarterback Jimmy Garrappolo.
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There was no clarity about the way Kyle Shanahan was going to utilize Lance. Maybe he was the future, maybe he was just insurance policy in case Jimmy G got hurt, yet again.
But for the North Dakota State graduate, it was a scary path to his locker. Lance remembers,
“Both the teams I came into were unique situations. In that, I didn’t know how the current quarterback was going to respond to me being there. You know, with Jimmy it was the same thing (as Dallas).. He could’ve treated me any number of ways.”
#Cowboys Trey Lance talking about having Dak Prescott and Jimmy Garoppolo as mentors in his career.
Lance says both men have been very giving of their time on and off the field whenever he had questions
(: @The8thRound_ on YT) pic.twitter.com/oOHQQs9oAf
— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) June 2, 2024
The quarterback did not end up getting the starting role in San Francisco. But did appreciate the way Garrappolo let him in. He adds,
“I’ve heard the horror stories of guys coming into the team, and the quarterback is not excited about them being there. Obviously, I’m really really thankful to both of them for treating me the way they did.”
He notes that they never withheld any information from him, and never kept him in the dark even when they could. He remembers them going out of their way to help him out. Taking out time to let him know the way. .
It has molded him into the player he is today. And even without a starting job, he’s managed to stay around with one of the most prestigious teams. If things do not go well with the negotiations between Prescott and the Cowboys, he might get a shot at leading America’s team.
Trey Lance Draws Praise For Learning Cowboys Offense
In a recent interaction with the media, Lance was praised by head coach Mike McCarthy for masterfully learning the Dallas offense. Although he has not been needed much since Dak Prescott put up an MVP-like campaign in the regular season, the young QB is still determined to make a name for himself in the league.
McCarthy said, “He was on a learning curve, but now he is starting to get the timing.. …He’s close to being a master of the system. He has a really high understanding. … He just needs as many reps as he can.”
So clearly there is a chance that Lance will take some reps from Prescott this season. Even if that does not happen, he has still written a better script for his NFL journey after coming to Dallas. Without any time under the spotlight, he has been slowly learning and growing. Waiting for his ‘chance to Lance’.
