Trey Lance is the NFL’s most talked-about third-string quarterback.
From the start of training camp, we could all predict this outcome. Still, watching a 23-year-old’s career potentially implode is difficult. No one wants to see this happen. But he is a public figure and a source of content. The media needs to feed, so it has dined on Lance’s failed stint with the San Francisco 49ers and his subsequent surprise trade to the Dallas Cowboys.
This drama has spawned various reports, rumors, and hot takes. Typically, we don’t see this amount of coverage dedicated to a guy who might not play a down in 2023 and has started four NFL games.
“Never have so many words, thoughts, sentences, and proclamations been expended on so small a résumé,” Defector’s Ray Ratto, a longtime Bay Area columnist, told Awful Announcing. “Because nobody in America’s rolling festival of gasbags can be induced to say the simple sentence, ‘I have no idea,’ much effort was expended trying to explain what he was or wasn’t, and we know no more today than when he enrolled at North Dakota State.”
There have been several twists in the Lance media narrative in recent months. The Athletic reported in May that Lance was working out with Patrick Mahomes’ private QB coach and had made a ‘substantial jump.’ However, following Lance’s subpar preseason debut against the Las Vegas Raiders, ESPN analyst Herm Edwards declared that the third overall pick of the 2021 draft “is not ready.” Next up was the blame game: Who’s responsible? Lance or the Niners’ brain trust of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch? On The Herd with Colin Cowherd, FS1’s Nick Wright unleashed scalding comments by calling San Francisco management “unprofessional.”
“The process for the San Francisco 49ers over the last three years regarding Trey Lance has been the most unprofessional I’ve ever seen in pro sports.” — @getnickwright pic.twitter.com/YIaNbD0Cx8
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) August 23, 2023
Hyperbole, no doubt. Wright could have said that the Niners made an error in talent evaluation, and Lance’s limited playing time due to injury set him back to the point of no return. That wasn’t exciting enough for Wright. Hot takers have to spice it up.
Need more spice? When San Francisco finally announced that former first-round bust Sam Darnold had beaten out Lance for the backup QB job, that decision led to an unspooling of a whole new thread: Where is Lance going? The trade to Dallas opened up more storylines for the media. Jones reportedly didn’t tell coach Mike McCarthy or starting quarterback Dak Prescott until after the deal.
For First Take, this was manna from heaven. Stephen A. Smith, reacting with the subtlety of a leaf blower, said Jones could give “two you-know-whats about what the hell (McCarthy or Prescott) think.” In response, Dan Orlovsky retorted: “To make this move and not tell Dak Prescott or the coach is stupid. It’s dumb.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p19ivCxY70s
Argument for the sake of argument is the First Take blueprint. But the rampant speculation about where Lance could have landed hasn’t been manufactured. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported that the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens “had conversations with San Francisco about a possible trade for Trey Lance.” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta denied this and called it “bad reporting.” (The Bills did confirm Russini’s report).
It’s hard to tell what’s true and what isn’t. Reporters are only as good as their sources, and Russini’s sources might have their own agendas. Regardless, there continues to be an astounding amount of content about a guy who has seen so little playing time.
The Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens are two teams that had conversations with San Francisco about a possible trade for Trey Lance.
In the NFC, the Detroit Lions also showed interest, per sources.
Most of the early discussions about a trade involved a 6th rounder that…— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) August 26, 2023
Eric DeCosta on the report of the Ravens being interested in QB Trey Lance:
"I would say that's just bad reporting. If somebody calls you and asks if you're interested in a player and you say 'no' does that mean you're interested in that player?"
— Kyle Phoenix (@KylePBarber) September 1, 2023
No one knows the long-term ramifications for Dallas and San Francisco. Lance could be a contract-negotiation insurance policy for the Cowboys. Just in case they can’t get Prescott to restructure his $60 million cap hit in 2024. The 49ers have more to lose. Brock Purdy could suffer a sophomore slump or not be the same guy after an arm injury. If San Francisco has to turn to Darnold, it will be relying on a player who has been turnover-prone his entire career.
With the 2023 season starting, the media will wait on the Prescott-Lance situation. But for the Niners, the Lance trade will be revisited if Purdy gets hurt or struggles. NBC’s Peter King pointed out that Shanahan has had to play three quarterbacks in four of his six years with the team. King said, “I get Kyle Shanahan picking Sam Darnold over Trey Lance. I get it. I don’t get Kyle Shanahan picking Brandon Allen over Trey Lance (as the No.3 QB).”
Off The Ball‘s Cian Fahey went a step further saying, “You understand Purdy is better than Lance, but how the hell is Sam Darnold better than Lance?”
While all this chatter has been good for the content business, the person at the center of it all is a youngster desperately trying to salvage his career. The media needs to feed. We’ll keep talking as if we know something even when we might know nothing.
“Just proves yet again that so much of the sporting punditocracy is just a giant poker table where everyone’s hand is seven-deuce offsuit, but they talk like they have pocket aces,” Ratto said.
About Michael Grant
Born in Jamaica. Grew up in New York City. Lives in Louisville, Ky. Sports writer. Not related to Ulysses S. Grant.