The San Francisco 49ers are dealing with long-term effects from their earlier investment in quarterback Trey Lance. On Aug. 25, 2023, just before the team’s preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers at Levi’s Stadium, the team traded Lance to the Dallas Cowboys. The move marked an acknowledgment of a failed strategy: the 49ers had traded multiple draft picks to select Lance at No. 3 overall less than three years prior but ultimately settled for a fourth-round pick in exchange.
General manager John Lynch reflected on the decision after that night’s game. “When you put that much into a player, it usually is really tough rebound from,” Lynch said. “Fortunately, we’ve been able to grow this team, to make this team better. We’re very fortunate for Brock to become what he’s become.”
With Lance now returning as a backup quarterback for the Chargers and approaching the two-year anniversary of his trade, the consequences of San Francisco’s decisions have become more apparent. The 49ers spent three first-round picks on Lance and also traded a third-rounder to the Miami Dolphins in 2022 to move up nine spots for him. Consequently, between 2022 and 2023 they had only one pick among the top 85 selections—an opportunity used on pass rusher Drake Jackson, who was later waived.
Overall, out of eighteen picks made during those two drafts, few remain with significant roles on the team; most top picks from that period are no longer on the roster. Brock Purdy and linebacker Dee Winters are among the exceptions who have secured starting positions.
Purdy, selected in the seventh round and serving as starting quarterback on an affordable rookie contract, enabled San Francisco to maintain its high-salary core group of players. From 2022 through 2023, under Purdy’s leadership, the team finished with a record of twenty-five wins and nine losses and reached four playoff victories.
However, due partly to previous draft strategies tied to Lance’s acquisition, depth problems surfaced during a difficult six-win season last year that saw injuries exposing weaknesses throughout the roster—most notably affecting special teams performance. This resulted in changes within coaching staff following the firing of coordinator Brian Scheider.
This offseason saw further turnover; eight starters departed without recent draft selections ready to step into open roles. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh commented that it was “realistic” for as many as six rookies from this year’s eleven-man draft class to start this season—a sign of limited competition and roster gaps.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan addressed concerns back in August 2023 after Lance’s trade: “We thought it would be Trey (…). I think we got pretty fortunate falling into still having a rookie quarterback and having him being a seventh-round pick.”
Two years after moving on from their original plan at quarterback, San Francisco faces challenges tied back in part to its high-profile gamble on Lance.
