Just under two and a half years ago, the 49ers made a trade that appeared to set themselves up for the future. San Francisco shipped three draft picks to the Dolphins for the rights to draft quarterback Trey Lance, a development the team successfully kept close to the vest for much of the 2021 draft cycle.
Strange things have happened between then and now, however. First, Lance hurt his ankle in the second game of the 2022 season. Then, rookie seventh-round pick Brock Purdy emerged as a solid quarterback—solid enough, in fact, to lead the 49ers to the NFC championship game.
With Purdy seemingly in line to start and Sam Darnold slated for backup duty, Lance’s days in San Francisco appear numbered. The NFL’s talking class had a lot to say about the 49ers’ move in hindsight, very little of it good.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell laid out just how egregious the trade was in light of the ’21 draft’s transactions.
49ers moved up from 12 to 3 to draft Trey Lance.
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) August 23, 2023
In return, Miami moved to 6 and got Jaylen Waddle.
Philly moved down to 10 and took DeVonta Smith.
Dallas drafted Micah Parsons at 12.
Miami then used the other first-rounders from SF to land Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb.
Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III believed the writing was on the wall for Lance after Darnold signed with San Francisco on March 14.
The 49ers were done with Trey Lance the second they brought in Sam Darnold and made it an open competition for the backup job.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) August 23, 2023
Some 49ers fans blamed the front office for mismanaging the situation.
Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch just went all in on Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold. They better be right about it, or else it's curtains. 💯
— Ryan G Hensley (@ryanghensley) August 23, 2023
San Francisco fans turned to self-deprecating humor for solace.
The good news is that the 49ers now have three 1st round picks again to trade for their next quarterback of the future.
— East Bay Chris (@EastBayChris) August 23, 2023
In re-litigating the trade, a few observers pointed to alternate paths that could’ve landed the 49ers a different quarterback.
Still think the wildest part about the 49ers trade up and the Lance-Mac debate is it never included Justin Fields.
— Dan Pizzuta (@DanPizzuta) August 23, 2023
Meanwhile, backers of other teams saw San Francisco’s loss as their gain.
Hear me out
— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) August 23, 2023
2021: 49ers use 3 first-round picks to draft Trey Lance
2023: Rams trade 1 fifth-round pick for Lance
2025-2027: Rams win 3 Super Bowls with Lance at QB
Who says no?
