3 trade destinations for Trey Lance for the 2023 season
The San Francisco 49ers seem to already be sold on rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, so could they end up trading Trey Lance in the offseason? The team drafted Trey Lance with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and the team with him was a good one:
Sit him for a year, let him absorb the NFL as much as possible, and them start him in 2022 while facilitating a clean breakup with Jimmy Garoppolo. Well, that did not exactly go to plan, and now the 49ers look unstoppable with a rookie QB in Brock Purdy under center, who has already won the starting job for 2023.
The best course of action for the 49ers might be trading Trey Lance and looking elsewhere for their backup quarterback position. So, if that is an option, who could acquire Lance’s services?
3 trade destinations for Trey Lance for the 2023 season
Tennessee Titans
This might be the most obvious one, as the Titans recently hired former 49ers personnel man Ran Carthon for their General Manager spot. Carthon spent the last several years with the 49ers front office and would probably entertain trading for Lance, as the Titans’ long-term quarterback situation is not set in stone.
Lance would likely be immediately thrusted into action in Tennessee. The Titans are also looking for a new offensive coordinator, so if they have their sights set on trading for Lance, they might want to consider who they hire for their vacant OC spot.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are in a similar situation to the Titans; a seven win team who does not have a long-term quarterback situation in place but is in a weak division. Desmond Ridder looked fine in limited action in 2022, and I am a fan of the Falcons overall.
I think they’re a well-coached team and Arthur Smith seems to be a clever offensive mind. Maybe the Falcons did see enough in Ridder to continue to roll with him, but maybe they’d rather take a chance on Lance, who has a higher ceiling but does share some similar qualities with the rookie Ridder.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings were a surprise team this year, winning 13 games and the NFC North crown. They got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, but the team is in good hands going forward. One issue that they’ll have to work through in the near future is Kirk Cousins, who is set to enter his age-35 season.
Cousins has been quite efficient for the Vikings. Through five years with the team, he’s thrown 153 touchdowns, 50 interceptions, and earned a passer rating of 100.9. The issue, though, is that Cousins is a low ceiling player and is not dynamic enough to help the Vikings get to the Super Bowl.
He’s an efficient passer, but that’s about it. He’s plenty good enough to start but cannot do much else besides throw the ball all across the field. Being that he’s also in his mid-30s, trying to find a replacement for Cousins would be smart, so why not take a stab at Trey Lance?
He does have the tools that most NFL teams want to go for in their franchise quarterbacks, and the Vikings are well-coached, so it might be a good situation for Lance.