Trey Lance garners all kinds of praise, but is it ‘playerspeak?’

With the 49ers’ offseason workouts complete, Trey Lance has commanded some hefty praise from teammates, but are there veiled concerns?

It’s not easy being a 22-year-old adult. It’s even harder being a 22-year-old NFL player, and it’s exceptionally more difficult being a 22-year-old future franchise quarterback for a prominent franchise like the San Francisco 49ers.

But that’s the context in which second-year pro Trey Lance finds himself.

A year removed from being selected No. 3 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, followed by a full season in which he served as the primary backup to then-starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, the focus has now shifted back on Lance.

And thanks to Garoppolo being out of offseason practices because of offseason shoulder surgery, coupled with the reality the Niners are planning to move on from him anyway, the attention Lance is receiving is highlighted even more.

“He’s raw” or “he’s inexperienced” are some of the common complaints critics will usher, and they’re justified. After all, Lance attempted just 318 passes at the collegiate level and started just two games his rookie season.

Yet questions still abound whether or not Lance will be the real deal in 2022 and beyond.

So, as is to be expected, his teammates have come to his support.

49ers players shower Trey Lance with positive comments

It’s rare and certainly controversial when a player criticizes one of his own teammates, aside from the proverbial “he’s improving but still has a lot of work to do” chatter often reserved for inexperienced or underperforming assets.

In Lance’s case, the showering of praise hasn’t ended.

Take, for example, fullback Kyle Juszczyk’s comments about the second-year signal-caller:

"I can only say positive things. I feel like Trey has done a really good job taking on all the different parts of being QB1. I’ve seen improvement on the field as far as his performance, seen a lot of big plays out there, and as a leader I feel like he has stepped up. He’s a very natural leader, a guy people gravitate toward. It has all been good so far."

All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams was equally complimentary:

"He carries himself extremely well, which is why he’s here and why everyone’s so high on him. We all know his attributes as a quarterback, but his mentality, the way he carries himself, the way he holds his head, the way nothing ever rattles him, that’s his key feature and I think it will take him a long way."

Even one of the newer San Francisco players who wasn’t around during Lance’s rookie season, former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward, went so far as to say, “He’s QB1. He’s the face of the franchise. He’s going to show the world this season.”

Excellent praise, yes. But are these players saying the right thing just because it’s the right thing and the right time to say it?

Dissecting 49ers player comments about Trey Lance

It’s fair to wonder whether or not these 49ers players, and others, are making positive statements about Lance to both prop him up in light of criticism and because it’s merely a sign of being a good teammate.

After all, All-Pro tight end George Kittle repeatedly showered Garoppolo with praise over the last couple of seasons despite Jimmy G’s own on-field struggles and shortcomings.

Kittle is now praising Lance, too. He should and needs to.

But let’s dive into some of the words behind the words here. Case in point, Juszczyk speaks not only to Lance’s physical abilities but also to the quarterback’s leadership, saying, “He’s a very natural leader, a guy people gravitate toward.”

Williams’ comments echo this kind of sentiment, “The way he carries himself, the way he holds his head, the way nothing ever rattles him.”

Even Ward’s comments about Lance being “the face of the franchise” go beyond just saying Lance is extremely gifted or has a strong arm.

Read More: Trey Lance doesn’t care what you think, and that’s good news

All of these statements are important to point out. Perhaps more crucial to the signal-caller’s on-field abilities will be the necessity of commanding both the offense from an orchestrator-type role as well as being a captain-like figure.

The definition of leadership. Had Juszczyk, Williams or Ward stopped at commenting about this attribute but still highlighted Lance’s physical skill set, no one would have complained.

It’s the fact all three included Lance’s leadership and prowess that should stand out and paint a better picture about the praise’s credibility.

As such, we shouldn’t doubt the sincerity whatsoever. Lance is earning it.