49ers general manager John Lynch speaks to reporters ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft about Trey Lance and all the trade speculation that has circulated around the young QB.
SANTA CLARA — General manager John Lynch suggested Monday that nothing has happened this offseason to lead him to believe 49ers quarterback Trey Lance is going anywhere any time soon.
“Absolutely, I expect for Trey to be here,” Lynch said during a press conference to preview the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
“We’re excited about Trey’s ability to compete and what he can do for our franchise -- just as we were when we drafted Trey.”
Lynch, who in the past has said San Francisco will listen to any team calling about any player, has been transparent with Lance. Reports surfaced this week that the 49ers have fielded calls from teams to check on Lance’s availability in a trade.
“Trey and I have talked, and we’re on the same page,” Lynch said. “Trey knows exactly where the situation is. His mindset is all about competing. And I think that’s exactly where his mindset should be.
“We’re excited about the position he’s put himself in with the work he’s done this offseason to No. 1 get healthy and, No. 2, improve upon some things and that he wanted to improve upon.”
Lynch said there has not been many -- or any -- substantive conversations about the possibility of dealing Lance.
"I think there's a lot of smoke, really,” Lynch said. “It hasn't been extremely active."
Lance has been working on getting healthy from his season-ending leg injury and tightening his mechanics. He will be competing against veteran Sam Darnold and, eventually, Brock Purdy for his spot on the team’s depth chart.
“He’s definitely excited and I think he has reason to be,” Lynch said. “We’re excited about Trey’s ability to go compete for a job.”
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Lynch described Purdy as the “leader in the clubhouse” for the 49ers’ starting job when speaking with Bay Area reporters last month at the NFL Annual Meeting in Arizona.
The 49ers won the first eight games after Purdy took over for injured Jimmy Garoppolo in early December. Purdy, who was among three finalists for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, completed 67.1 percent of his pass attempts with 13 touchdowns, four interceptions and a passer rating of 107.3.
Purdy also played well in the 49ers’ playoff victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys before sustaining torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow in the first quarter of the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Meanwhile, the sample size has been much smaller for Lance through two NFL seasons. Lance appeared in eight games with four starts since entering the league as the No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.
RELATED: Why 49ers like Lance but haven't been shy about trade talks
He completed 56 of 102 attempts (54.9 percent) for 797 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. He has rushed for 235 yards and one touchdown on 54 attempts.
Lance sustained a season-ending fractured lower leg and ligament damage after taking an awkward hit at the end of a read-option play in Week 2 of the 2022 season.
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