Trey Lance: He can run and throw, but he won’t slide.
While the soggy turf at Soldier Field made for a perfect 100-yard slip-and-slide, the young 49ers’ QB refused to go that route when the defensemen bucked in the 49ers’ season-opening loss to the Chicago Bears last Sunday rushed him.
But it’s a different story for Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who is also in his second season in the league.
While speaking to reporters Wednesday, Fields said his first instinct is to slide to avoid the hit, stressing he will almost always slide before being ransacked.
Fields even added a conversation with Lance to his to-do list after seeing the number of times he got knocked down.
“I need to talk to my boy Trey. I think he took too many hits out there,” Fields said. “To be honest, I try not to take hits at all unless the game is at stake… That’s really the only time I take a hit. Otherwise I’ll slide quite a bit. For all the defenders out there who think I’ll stay up late, I’m not worried about getting those late hits.
While also speaking to reporters about some of the biggest differences between collegiate and pros on Wednesday before practice, Lance acknowledged that defenders are much “bigger, faster and stronger” than him and can catch up quickly.
He added that learning how to protect himself and stay healthy is important for him as he is now tasked with the QB1 role as a 22-year-old.
Still, Lance didn’t back down from his attitude of taking punches.
“On Sunday I feel like I protected myself pretty well. [I] felt good for the most part,” Lance said confidently. “If I’m running between tackles and stuff or running in third, I’m never going to slip and just give up the game and send our defense onto the field if there’s a situation like that.”
On Sunday, Lance led the team with 54 rushing yards on 13 carries while Deebo Samuel had 52 yards on eight carries with a touchdown.
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The 49ers raked in more first downs than the Bears and converted 47 percent of their third-down attempts, going 8-for-17. Lance was able to move the chains with his dual threat skills – five times with his legs and three times via passes to receiver Jauan Jennings (twice) and tight end Ross Dwelley.
Of course, Lance still has a lot to learn as Week Two approaches and the 49ers prepare to welcome their rival, the Seattle Seahawks, to Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, but his fearlessness and confidence at such a young age will continue to wane him from others.
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