When Trey Lance joined the San Francisco 49ers, football analysts were confident that his arrival would elevate the team’s performance to new heights. However, the young QB’s tenure with the 49ers took an unexpected turn. The move has now led to what can only be termed as a debacle. This disappointing trajectory has not gone unnoticed. Former NFL QB Robert Griffin III (RGIII), did not hold back in sharing his take on the situation surrounding Lance.
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In a recent statement, RGIII minced no words while discussing Trey Lance’s trade off to the Dallas Cowboys. He was quite direct in asserting that if it hadn’t been for the intervention of 49ers HC Brock Purdy, Kyle Shanahan would be facing severe consequences due to the disastrous move of bringing Lance onto the team.
RGIII Slams 49ers’ Trey Lance Draft Move
Former NFL QB RGIII is known for his unfiltered commentary. In the Trey Lance situation, he has made no reservations about conveying his feelings. In a tweet, RGII declared that the 49ers’ decision to trade up and draft Lance was “The WORST DRAFT DAY MOVE OF ALL TIME.” He held nothing back in implying that his move has been proved catastrophic for the 49ers.
“It’s official. The 49ers decision to give up 3 first round picks to move up and draft Trey Lance is THE WORST DRAFT DAY MOVE OF ALL TIME. Only reason Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch aren’t fired is they hit on the last pick of last year’s draft in Brock Purdy. Now Trey has been traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a 4th round pick. What an UNBELIEVABLE ENDING to the Trey Lance Era in San Fran,” RGIII stated.
RGIII even implied that the only reason head coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch retained their positions was due to the selection of Brock Purdy in the previous year’s draft. The iron couldn’t be starker. The 49ers had invested heavily in Trey Lance. The 49ers even relinquished three valuable first-round picks to secure his selection. However, recent developments reveal that the franchise sent Lance to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round pick.
RGII thinks that in the aftermath of such a gross miscalculation by the 49ers’ management, such a scenario could have resulted in Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch facing termination.
Trey Lance’s Stats with the 49ers
In the world of professional football, stars rise and fall. Similarly, the trajectory of Trey Lances’s NFL journey has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. The trade that sent him from the San Francisco 49ers to the Dallas Cowboys has put things into perspective about his struggles when it came to living up to immense expectations.
Lance was picked as the NO.3 draft pick in 2021 with huge expectations. However, with limited playing time at the 49ers, he was not able to live up to the hype. He only played 8 games across two seasons with the 49ers. As per ESPN Stats & Info, his 8-game appearance for the 49ers arks the lowest number of games played by a top-five pick associated with the franchise since 1967.
His on-field stats during his tenure with the 49ers paint quite an abysmal picture. In 2021, Lance had a completion percentage of 57.5% while throwing for 604 yards. He had 5 TDs, 2 interceptions, and a rating of 97.3. The following year, his numbers dropped even more with fewer playing opportunities. The completion percentage fell to 48.4%, throwing yards were 194, 0 TDs, 1 interception, and a rating of 55.0.
Looks like Lance is low on confidence and even more so with such less playing time given to him. Despite the potential and hype surrounding him, the journey of Trey Lance with the San Francisco 49ers reminds us of the unpredictability that comes with professional sports. Even the brightest of prospects face hurdles and fail to deliver. Let’s hope that the young QB can buckle up and come back stronger with the Dallas Cowboys.
