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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance was such an exciting prospect that the Niners traded three first-round picks just to move up nine spots to draft him at No. 3 overall in 2021. In 2019, the 6-foot, 4-inch, 224-pound star threw for 2,786 yards and 28 touchdowns at North Dakota State while running for 1,100 yards on the ground and 14 more touchdowns.
Analysts thought he could be the next Josh Allen – a raw talent from a small school who just needs some guidance to transition to the NFL level. Unfortunately, we have not gotten to see much of Lance yet. His 2020 college season was cut short to just one game by the Covid-19 pandemic. He backed up Jimmy Garoppolo as a rookie in 2021 and only threw 71 passes. He had even less playing time in 2022; he was carted off the field with his ankle in an air cast in the first quarter of Week 2 after just three passes, and that injury would end his season.
With the 49ers' quarterback situation once again in flux, how is Trey Lance doing? Is he healthy or injured, and will he be ready to compete for the starting job in training camp?
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Trey Lance Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Lance (ankle) underwent surgery back in September to address the fibula fracture and ligament disruption he suffered in San Francisco's Week 2 win over the Seahawks. The surgery was successful, but Lance had to have another surgery on December 30. That was to remove hardware from the first surgery that was causing him discomfort.
All indications are that Lance will be ready for organized team activities (OTAs), which start in May. Training camp doesn't start until the second half of July, so Lance should certainly be ready for training camp.
Trey Lance 2023 Fantasy Outlook
Whoever wins the QB job for the 49ers could easily put up big fantasy numbers. The Niners have some of the most talented skill position players of any team in the league, including RB Christian McCaffrey, the all-time leader in receptions for a running back after just six seasons; TE George Kittle, with two 1,000-yard receiving seasons in his career; WR Deebo Samuel, who has 2,634 yards from scrimmage in the past two seasons; and WR Brandon Aiyuk, who is coming off his first 1,000-yard season.
When seventh-round rookie Brock Purdy was thrown in as starting quarterback in Week 13 after an injury to Jimmy Garoppolo, he ended up accumulating 13 touchdown passes in just six regular season games. Purdy's success creates a quandary: who will the 49ers start in 2023?
Unfortunately, Purdy also suffered an injury (elbow/UCL tear) in San Fran's NFC Championship loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and now he will require surgery that could require six months or longer of rehab. Garoppolo is going to leave in free agency this offseason.
If Purdy is fully healthy in just six months, then the 49ers could have a QB competition during the preseason, but there were reports that he might need Tommy John surgery, a procedure from which it would take a full year to recover. If that is the case – which 49ers sources say is unlikely – then Purdy would miss the upcoming season, and Lance would be in the driver's seat, barring a major offseason addition by the Niners.
Trey Lance would have a high upside in any offense just because of his size, arm strength, and running ability. In the Niners' offense, he has rocket-to-the-moon upside. But he has only played in a total of nine games at any level in the past three years. In his limited sample size, he has only completed 54.9% of his NFL passes. His development was expected to take time, even in the best of circumstances.
Lance has a high upside, but he also has an extremely low floor.
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