Trey Lance won’t stand for any ‘finger-pointing’ entering 2022

Getting down into the digits, 49ers quarterback Trey Lance has reportedly quelled any finger-pointing at his finger being a problem for the upcoming season.

We’re at the point in the offseason when we are talking about San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance‘s finger.

Side note, I had a surgically repaired finger on my throwing hand back when I was 21 years old, too. Therefore, Lance and I are practically the same.

At any rate, Lance suffered a broken finger during the Niners’ preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders a year ago. And despite the injury not landing him on any injured lists his rookie season, Lance admitted earlier this offseason (h/t 49ers Webzone) it did impact his throwing ability:

"I kind of dealt with my finger throughout the season, so for me, it was kind of getting that back, and getting healthy, and feeling back to myself. Like, towards the end of the season, I wasn’t the best version of myself overall. It was a long season, a long pre-draft process, of me not being in school. Everyone says it’s going to be, but you don’t really realize it until it happens.And I think the finger, for me, was the biggest thing just as far as throwing the ball. I kind of had to learn to throw the ball differently without kind of using my pointer finger, I guess because of just where it was at throughout the year. But now, I feel like I’m in a great spot, health-wise, and throwing the ball wall, and feeling really good."

For those trying to put a finger on Lance’s 57.7 completion percentage on 71 pass attempts last year, perhaps that injury was the culprit.

Report: Trey Lance finger injury is now pointing up in a positive direction

Fully poised to take over the starting quarterback job this season, anything regarding Lance’s health and injury status is going to be of interest.

So, not surprisingly, there’s going to be attention upon his finger.

According to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan, though, Lance has made notable strides in the wake of his rookie-year injury healing fully:

"Sources close to the quarterback have shared with NBC Sports Bay Area that now, with a fully recovered finger, Lance’s passes are noticeably “more crisp and tighter.” Unable to fully use his index finger to finish off throws during the 2021 season, receivers had to adjust when Lance was under center."

Read More: Trey Lance looks promising so far during Niners offseason workouts

Without getting too deep in the weeds on mechanics, a better grip tends to lead to tighter spirals, and those typically result in much better accuracy and velocity. And if the report on Lance is accurate itself, it’s one less X-factor potentially getting in the way of him having a productive second year with the Niners.