Trey Lance will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and the 49ers need a backup quarterback. In fact, they need two, because both Brandon Allen and Joshua Dobbs are free agents, too.
Should the 49ers bring back Lance?
Trading for Lance four years ago was one of the worst moves in NFL history. The 49ers sent three first-round picks plus a third-rounder to the Miami Dolphins for the right to draft Lance, arguably the biggest project quarterback to get drafted in the top 3.
You know what happened next. Lance got injured after just four starts, Brock Purdy took his job and the 49ers traded Lance to the Cowboys for a fourth-round pick. That seemed to be Lance’s final chapter with the 49ers.
But he’s still just 24 — he’s six months younger than Purdy. And while Lance might not be a starting-caliber quarterback, he could be an intriguing backup in a league that has become dominated by dual-threat QBs. Plus he knows the 49ers system, their coaching staff and their players. He already has friends on the team.
But I’m guessing this reunion won’t happen. The 49ers probably would see it as a distraction that would draw too much attention, and Lance might see it as a step back in his career. He might prefer to go to a team that gives him a chance to compete or a team that has a vision for him and hasn’t given up on him once already.