San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan had an interesting take on quarterback Trey Lance after he took over for Jimmy Garoppolo vs. the Seahawks.
Kyle Shanahan has resisted giving No. 3 draft pick Trey Lance the starting quarterback job since he landed with the 49ers.
On Sunday against the Seahawks, the head coach was forced to rely on the young passer when Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a calf injury.
If you expected Shanahan to relent and simply move forward with Lance after he scored two touchdowns in the second half, think again.
“It looked like a typical first game,” Shanahan said per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. “That’s why he’s a No. 2 quarterback.”
It’s that second statement that raised eyebrows.
49ers: Kyle Shanahan isn’t changing his tune on Trey Lance
Lance completed 9-of-18 passes for 157 yards. It wasn’t a standout performance passing by any measure, but he did find the endzone twice while rushing for 41 yards.
By many measures, he was more effective at putting the 49ers on the board than Garoppolo. He also didn’t commit any turnovers.
It makes sense for Shanahan to call it a typical first game for Lance, but the “No. 2 quarterback” line is an unnecessary slight. Garoppolo is barely a No. 1 quarterback.
Moreover, Lance may very well be QB1 next week if Garoppolo has to sit out as expected. If you’re trying to inspire confidence in your rookie quarterback, that’s not the way to do it.
Shanahan needs to choose his words more carefully. There are already enough people who believe he’s mishandling the quarterback situation, he doesn’t need to make it worse in press conferences.