The San Francisco 49ers sent shockwaves throughout the NFL world on Wednesday. In a somewhat surprising move, the team named 2018 Sam Darnold as their backup quarterback behind starter Brock Purdy (the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft).
This move means that 2021 third overall pick, Trey Lance, is likely to see his time in San Francisco come to an end. He did not show up for practice today, though head coach Kyle Shanahan stated he would “love” for Lance to be present.
Instead, it seems that Lance will be traded, and Ian Rapoport named the Minnesota Vikings as a team to watch as negotiations begin.
A Trey Lance Trade by the San Francisco 49ers to the Minnesota Vikings Makes Sense
When the news that Darnold would be the backup instead of Lance, it was a foregone conclusion that the quarterback once deemed as the future of the franchise would be traded. Ian Rapoport stated on NFL Network:
“Sam Darnold is going to be QB2 of the San Francisco 49ers. There was a quarterback battle going on in San Francisco, but it was not about Brock Purdy. Now that he is healthy, unquestioned, he is the starter for the 49ers based on what he did last year.
“Instead it was about the backup quarterback. Was it going to be Sam Darnold, or was it going to be the former number three overall pick Trey Lance, a couple years ago, they traded all those picks, two first rounders, to move up and get Lance.
“Instead, sources tell me and Tom Pelissero that it is Darnold in as the number two quarterback, which means Lance was not at practice today. The 49ers are exploring their trade options as it pertains to Lance.
“And despite Coach Shanahan saying that he would be extremely happy if Lance were with the team, there is a good chance here that he gets traded.
“One team to keep an eye on: the Minnesota Vikings. Obviously Trey Lance, a hometown kid from Minnesota. They had discussions with the 49ers this past offseason about a deal. It’s hard, the Vikings do in fact right now have a backup quarterback, but at least it is a team to potentially keep an eye on.”
Ironically, the Vikings backup quarterback right now is Nick Mullens, who previously played for the 49ers from 2018-2020. As fans may recall, Lance was drafted by the 49ers in 2021 after subpar quarterback play from Mullens and other 49ers quarterbacks in 2020.
As far as a fit with Minnesota, Rapoport mentioned that Lance is from the state and the two teams previously had trade discussions involving the 2021 third overall pick. Mullens is certainly not the future for the Vikings, and Kirk Cousins is an expensive aging quarterback who will be a free agent after the 2023 season.
The Vikings have traded away or cut expensive veterans this offseason to save money for the future. If Lance can be healthy and reach the potential the 49ers saw in him when he was taken third overall, he could be a franchise quarterback for the Vikings.
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