NFL training camp buzz: Cowboys disaster averted, Steelers show-off, Trey Lance doomsday

NFL Training Camp New: Worst-case scenario for Trey Lance with 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers, by design, have a crowded quarterback room as they begin training camp.

Last season’s hero and the 2022 draft’s Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, is on the field quicker than some expected after undergoing UCL surgery in the offseason. Then there is former first-round pick Sam Darnold, who Kyle Shanahan and the majority of the 49ers staff have spoken extremely highly of since signing him this offseason.

Then there’s Trey Lance, the former third-overall pick who San Francisco aggressively traded up to select just a few years ago. And though it’s not a certainty, there is a belief that he’s the third man in the QB hierarchy for this team coming into camp.

That led to Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle to speculate about whether or not Lance will be on the 49ers roster by the time it’s cut down to 53 players. And in doing so, he laid out the more likely scenario, which is San Francisco trading him.

But Silver also gave the worst-case scenario: The former No. 3 overall pick being outright released and cut by the 49ers. Though he did say that might be getting ahead of himself, Silver described that as “not out of the realm of possibility” for San Francisco and Lance.

Would it actually come to that? It’s hard to imagine but, with Purdy’s proven on-field success in Shanahan’s offense and the fact that Darnold himself is a talented former first-round pick, Lance has to prove himself in camp. And if he doesn’t, he could be wearing another uniform come Week 1.