George Kittle has made one thing clear about Trey Lance this offseason, and it’s that the young 49ers quarterback has improved by leaps and bounds since last year.
The All-Pro tight end gave a perfect example of that growth during an appearance on “The Jim Rome Show” on Tuesday, noting it’s a sign of good things to come.
“I think Trey looks a lot different,” Kittle told Rome. “I think his confidence in himself -- he has this calmness to him in the huddle, he looks like he’s having fun again and he’s healthy. Those are three things that are good for the Niners.”
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Lance’s newfound swagger is translating to his on-field performance, Kittle said.
“I’m really excited, too,” Kittle said. “This OTAs practice, the last day of minicamp, me and Trey connected on a 60-yard touchdown down the sideline -- a little box fade around the linebacker. He threw it away from the safety, perfectly in the bread basket.
“I was able to catch it in stride for a touchdown, and that was a route that, in training camp last year, we kind of struggled to connect with.”
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As presumed starter Brock Purdy recovers from his March elbow surgery, Kittle and the rest of the 49ers’ offense caught passes from Lance, Sam Darnold and Brandon Allen throughout OTAs and mandatory minicamp, which wrapped up last Wednesday.
The day before, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Purdy is “ahead of schedule” in his recovery, though he didn’t know how involved the second-year quarterback would be in training camp.
Kittle later told the media Lance looks “significantly better than he did last year.”
For Lance, who is looking to bounce back from an injury of his own, Purdy’s absence offers an opportunity for the former first-round draft pick to prove himself this summer after a broken ankle stole his chance this past campaign.
“You could see he’s progressed since last season, and that’s all I’m asking for,” Kittle told Rome of Lance. “... My answer is always, ‘He just needs reps.’ That’s all it is. He’s got a high ceiling, and the more reps he gets, the better he’s going to be.
“It’s exciting to see that he’s taken steps forward. He’s progressed, and I think that’s good news for the Niners.”