5 hard lessons 49ers must accept after Week 4 loss to Seahawks
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: 49ers need to play Trey Lance, like it or not
They might not have any other choice, especially considering Jimmy Garoppolo could miss some time with his calf injury, even if it’s only a week or so.
But the Niners now face the reality of giving Trey Lance much more field time after he saw continuous action for the first time in his NFL career after getting all the offensive snaps in the second half.
Lance had his upside moments, yes, including two touchdowns to wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Yet there were also plenty of moments where Lance’s inexperience and indecisiveness were on full display.
Granted, Lance isn’t getting a lot of reps during practices, and he’s only working on a handful of plays for actual games instead of being subjected to regular play. At least up to Week 4.
Regardless, it’s clear Lance is going to be the X-factor for this team going forward, particularly if Garoppolo isn’t able to stay healthy on the field. And if Lance winds up starting and performing well enough in Week 5 against the first-place Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco’s quarterback room could and should receive a massive shakeup over the rest of the season.
Even if it means the 49ers miss out on a playoff berth amid Lance’s needed maturation.