Trey Lance trade rumors: 49ers exploring options to trade former No. 3 pick – DraftKings

The San Francisco 49ers are exploring trade options for quarterback Trey Lance, per Ian Rapoport. He was listed as the QB3 behind starter Brock Purdy and backup Sam Darnold on Wednesday but could be playing for a new team sooner rather than later. The former No. 3 pick is heading into his third career season and has two years left on his rookie deal with a potential fifth-year option.

The 49ers traded up from No. 12 to No. 3 in the 2021 NFL Draft. Analyst’s thoughts at the time were that they would be selecting Mac Jones with the pick, but in a surprise move, the team drafted Lance. He spent his rookie season as the backup to veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, only playing in certain packages or when Garoppolo was sidelined briefly with an injury. Lance played in six games and threw for 603 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions. He added 168 yards and another score on the ground.

Lance was named the QB1 over Jimmy G heading into last season. An injury in Week 2 ended his season and eventually led to the debut and surge of Purdy. Lance is still relatively unproven in the NFL after a short college stint with North Dakota State. There isn’t a way to tell what the asking price is for Lance, but the 49ers aren’t helping themselves much by shopping around their QB3. Assuming they are willing to part with him for a future late-round draft pick, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him move to another team to be their backup. For the short-term, the only team he could potentially start for with no injuries to the current quarterback room would be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have already named Baker Mayfield their QB1. Teams could look to the future and make a move for Lance now with the intention of his being an insurance policy for 2024 and beyond.