San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Trey Lance can probably be traded for at the right price. Which three teams should call the 49ers about the quarterback? Lance has had just about the worst possible beginning to an NFL career as possible, honestly.
He was essentially redshirted his first year, was given the starting job in 2022, and broke his ankle early in the 2022 season, only to then effectively be replaced by a seventh-round rookie in Brock Purdy.
Lance’s future in SF is unclear, especially with Purdy’s elbow injury, but I think what is clear is at some point, Trey Lance will be traded to a different team and will be given a fresh start. He’s in his third year and entering his age-23 season, so there’s still a possibility that he turns into a franchise signal caller.
Three teams that should call the 49ers about Trey Lance
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings have been a potential landing spot for Lance for as long as I can remember. Kirk Cousins is entering his age-35 season and it’s clear that he isn’t going to be starting for them much longer, especially considering the new HC and GM combo are not tied to Cousins.
Maybe Lance can benefit with a fresh start in Minnesota? I’m sure he’d hate to have to sit behind another QB, but being traded to the Vikings to then sit behind Cousins for a year might give him a great opportunity to take over the starting job in 2024.
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons apparently discussed trades for both Kyler Murray and Ryan Tannehill, so I think it’s clear that they might not be sold on 2022 third round pick Desmond Ridder, who is currently in line to be their starter for 2023.
Trading for Lance give the Falcons another option, simple as that. Why not acquire more darts in hopes that you hit a bullseye? They did sign Taylor Heinicke in free agency, but he’s not a starter. He’s a good backup, and that’s it.
A good old fashioned QB battle with Ridder and Lance could end up paying off for the Falcons.
Tennessee Titans
This one could be a bit more complicated. The new Titans’ General Manager is Ran Carthon, who was with the 49ers previously. He’s got ties to Trey Lance. Furthermore, the Titans also selected Will Levis in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
I think their ideal scenario is that Levis, at some point within the next year, takes over for Ryan Tannehill as the franchise QB in Tennessee. Tannehill is set to enter his age-35 season and is clearly not someone who is going to be with the team for much longer.
Let’s add another wrinkle to this.
Let’s say that the Titans do end up making a trade for Trey Lance. What happens next? How about the deal involving Lance sends Tannehill to the 49ers. You’d then allow Levis and Lance to battle it out in Tennessee, a similar situation I proposed in Atlanta.
And then, in San Francisco, you’d have Ryan Tannehill added to the mix to likely hold the fort down while Brock Purdy heals up. Could Tannehill be open to a backup role at this point? Perhaps. This seems like a crazy scenario, and it probably is, but I don’t think it’s impossible.