SANTA CLARA — The 49ers’ quarterback of the future is the future no more. Quarterback Trey Lance will go down as the worst draft pick in 49ers’ history.
It is a harsh assessment, but there is no argument.
After all, the 49ers traded up to get him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He never played even half of the snaps in back-to-back games for the team that drafted him.
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And he leaves for a fresh start with the Dallas Cowboys after appearing in just eight regular-season games over two seasons with the 49ers.
But here’s the deal: It is impossible to blame Lance; and it is understandable why the 49ers decided to move on after just 2 1/2 years, too.
In order for the 49ers to move up to No. 3 overall in a trade with the Miami Dolphins, they parted ways with their pick at No. 12 overall in 2021, as well two future first-round picks and a third-rounder.
The 49ers initially were patient. They opted to retain Jimmy Garoppolo as the starter while Lance learned as the backup.
San Francisco 49ers
A year ago, it was Lance’s turn.
But his opportunity did not last long.
In the second quarter of a Week 2 game against the Seattle Seahawks, Lance sustained a fractured lower leg and his season came to an end.
It turns out, his 49ers career essentially ended right then and there.
When the door swung open for rookie quarterback Brock Purdy late in the season, his steady play convinced the 49ers they had found their quarterback of the future.
And Lance’s tumble down the depth chart began.
Coach Kyle Shanahan informed Lance he lost the No. 2 job to free-agent pickup Sam Darnold. And what also became clear is that the 49ers were more comfortable with Brandon Allen as the third-stringer.
On Friday, the 49ers flipped Lance for a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. They got absolutely no return on their considerable investment.
The 49ers took a big swing and they whiffed.
There is no other way to view it.
But if Purdy ends up being “the real deal,” as Shanahan believes he is, the lasting damage will be minimal.
When the 49ers decided to be aggressive and go after a young quarterback, a major part of the allure was having a player on a set and price-effective contract for several seasons.
It is certainly not the way they drew it up, but that is what they are getting with Purdy.
As the No. 262 and final pick of last year’s draft, Purdy is scheduled to make $3.7 million over four years. Both sides are locked into that contract for the first three years before they are even allowed to renegotiate the deal.
At a time when nearly half the quarterbacks in the league are making more than $30 million annually, the 49ers are able to send that money elsewhere.
Lance showed the 49ers enough in his one season as the starter at North Dakota State for Shanahan and general manager John Lynch to push all their chips to the center of the table.
He needed experience to work his way through his issues with accuracy and timing to become the player the 49ers envisioned.
The 49ers are ready to win. They made it to the NFC Championship Game the past two seasons.
And they are convinced they can win with Purdy. Heck, they did win with Purdy last season, including two victories in the playoffs.
Because of Purdy’s successes as a rookie, the 49ers felt it was in the best interest of the organization to turn the page on Lance.
It all happened so quickly.