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5 questions 49ers must answer in preseason game vs. Chargers

By Peter Panacy

General view of the line of scrimmage between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Chargers Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
General view of the line of scrimmage between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Chargers Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (5) Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 1: Can Trey Lance make next leap in his development?

The Niners could feasibly open up the door for Jimmy Garoppolo to play the first have at Los Angeles, and that would be fine.

Except for Kyle Shanahan already knows what he has in Garoppolo. There isn’t much more to prove, either for better or worse. Jimmy G is who he is.

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    • No, San Francisco needs to get Trey Lance as many snaps as it possibly can, mixing in as many first-team reps as possible, both with the 49ers’ own starters and against whichever first-string defenders Chargers head coach Brandon Staley elects to field this weekend.

    Lance had his up-and-down moments against Kansas City. The plusses, of course, included his 80-yard bomb of a touchdown pass to wide receiver Trent Sherfield, and there were other plays where Lance displayed his prolific potential, all the while not needing to rely on his legs to extend plays.

    That said, Lance was still careless at times, nearly tossing two interceptions and failing to adequately react to the multitude of blitzes and rushes the Chiefs began calling against him.

    This isn’t to create worry. Remember, Lance had only one full season as a collegiate starter, and that was back in 2019. He attempted just 318 passes during his college tenure, too. That’s not a lot.

    Even if the Niners’ plan is to start Garoppolo in Week 1, giving Lance as much experience as he possibly can should be the next vital phase in the rookie’s development and maturation.

    San Francisco and Los Angeles kick off on Sunday, Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET from SoFI Stadium.

    Next. 4 takeaways from Trey Lance's NFL debut vs. Chiefs. dark