The Trey Lance era didn’t get off to a good start after the 49ers lost 19-10 in Week 1 to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
Although the 22-year-old didn’t put in the most convincing performance due to the rainy weather, he still received praise for playing in less than ideal conditions.
Additionally, former 49ers quarterback JT O’Sullivan believes Lance gives San Francisco the best shot at winning a Super Bowl despite Jimmy Garoppolo being on the team as a backup quarterback.
“Which quarterback gives you the best chance of winning a championship? For me, that’s Trey Lance,” O’Sullivan said during his appearance on Friday’s Last Second Sports YouTube channel. “We saw what Jimmy Garoppolo can do and he’s a good quarterback who wins a lot.
“But does he have the ability to create in those moments? Does he have the ability to extend the field to that point? And you link that to some health concerns. The answer for me is no. They identified Trey Lance as the guy you wanted to get.”
O’Sullivan went on to say the 49ers invested heavily in Lance after picking the No. 3 overall North Dakota State star in the 2021 NFL Draft. San Francisco gave the Miami Dolphins first-round picks in the 2022 and 2023 NFL drafts and a third-round pick in 2022.
As a result, O’Sullivan believes the franchise should stick with Lance rather than return to Garoppolo. The former 49ers quarterback points out that Lance brings other skills to the field that Garoppolo doesn’t have.
“They invested all this design capital. I think he gives and the splashes I’ve seen a few splashes in the few starts he faces me I think he offers that. And I think he gives you the best chance of winning a championship this year and beyond.
“Well, will it work? Who the hell knows? But winning most games isn’t necessarily important to me. I want them to play their best ball after Thanksgiving when he makes his move and then gets a chance going into the playoffs and making a deep, really important run because he’s able to create plays that Jimmy Garoppolo might not be able to.
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Lance has the opportunity to silence all doubters in the 49ers’ Week 2 duel against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
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