The John Lynch-Kyle Shanahan era of the 49ers has overall been a success with the team reaching four NFC title games, two Super Bowls and bringing back a winning culture to Bay Area football. The 49ers have been one of the best franchises in the league over that span, but their biggest mistake was trading multiple first-round picks to select Trey Lance with the No. 3 pick of the 2021 NFL draft.
Lance displayed incredible talent during his lone season as North Dakota State's primary starter in 2019—leading the Bison to an undefeated 16-0 record, throwing 28 touchdowns to no interceptions and rushing for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns.
The 49ers largely drafted Lance based on all he displayed in that illustrious season, but between a lack of college reps due to the COVID-19 pandemic, unfortunate injury luck and the surprise emergence of Brock Purdy, Lance did not work out in San Francisco. The 49ers traded Lance to the Cowboys in 2023, where he spent two seasons as a third-stringer before joining the Chargers this offseason.
Now the 49ers are set to face Lance as they take on the Chargers for their final preseason game. Though Lance didn't end up as the 49ers' franchise quarterback as they expected, coach Kyle Shanahan—who was a driving force in drafting Lance—is still rooting for Lance to succeed.
“I don’t want to sit here and evaluate Trey again. I’m pulling for Trey," Shanahan told reporters Tuesday. "I love Trey. One of the best people I’ve been around and I really hope it works out for him."
Kyle Shanahan was asked to evaluate where Trey Lance is today and what happened when he was with the 49ers:
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) August 19, 2025
“I don’t want to sit here and evaluate Trey again. I’m pulling for Trey. I love Trey. One of the best people I’ve been around and I really hope it works out for him.” pic.twitter.com/C0txHyk9Wi
So far, Lance has looked solid in limited action during this preseason, throwing for 296 yards and two touchdowns and flashing the talent that made him a No. 3 pick four years ago. As of Monday, Shanahan had yet to watch Lance's film with the Chargers, but noted he wouldn't be surprised to see Lance looking improved.
"The more he practices, the more he works," Shanahan said. "He's only going to get better.”
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kyle Shanahan Had Kind Words About Trey Lance Playing Well in Chargers' Preseason.
