What Trey Lance told us in first week of 49ers training camp

Trey Lance had some up and down moments during his first week of 49ers training camp, and there’s certainly a lot to take away early.

Prepare yourself accordingly. There are going to be a lot of grand-sweeping conclusions surrounding San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance after just one week of training camp practices.

Justified? Not necessarily. But that’s ultimately what happens with high-profile players, especially those receiving as much attention in 2022 as Lance.

With the Niners keeping still-on-the-roster-but-perhaps-traded-soon quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo off the practice field during training camp, Lance is getting his first extensive looks with the first-team unit.

At times, it’s been good. At others, not so much.

How did Trey Lance look during first week of 49ers training camp?

In the immediate wake of San Francisco all but fully endorsing him as the starter heading into the new season, Lance’s first day of practices was electrifying.

To quote Sports Illustrated’s Grant Cohn, Lance was “just about as efficient as could be,” going 9-of-11 with one of his incompletions stemming from a wide receiver who slipped and fell.

However, days two and three of training camp were far less impressive.

Safety Jimmie Ward picked off Lance during Thursday’s practice, and the quarterback went 6-of-14 during those sessions while not being afforded a lot of time to throw, thanks to playing behind a makeshift offensive line and going up against the 49ers’ first-team defensive front.

On day three, one could argue Lance had his worst practice yet, as NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco pointed out:

Lance bounced back on day four of practices, particularly on one play where he hit wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk for a 50-yard completion down the sideline.

All told, though, the quarterback’s first week is probably going to be marked by those two frustrating days.

“We know that our defense is really good,” Lance told reporters after one practice session. “But I mean, three turnovers, one turnover is, is too many. But just because we have one turnover, I thought we turned the page really well. I thought the next few reps, for all of us, after our turnovers we turned it around really quick, which I think is, is a bigger part than not throwing picks at all.”

From a quarterback who tossed just one interception during his collegiate tenure at North Dakota State, at least seeing how he bounces back from such setbacks will be vital in his development.

Should 49ers start worrying about Trey Lance?

To get the conclusion out of the way, no.

There are a few important tidbits to point out here before honing in on Lance. For starters, and as mentioned earlier, the bulk of Week 1 practices were with an impromptu O-line that was without All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams for two days and minus right tackle Mike McGlinchey for three.

The Niners have been experimenting with different options at center, too, which has meant an interior O-line carousel, of sorts, and it’s important to note the players haven’t donned pads yet.

So, if offensive linemen are looking to get physical with their pass-blocking sets, they can’t. Not yet.

On top of that, Lance has been without San Francisco’s best offensive weapon, All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who is physically at camp but not partaking in practices until he receives a new contract extension.

Above all else, defenses almost regularly start stronger than offenses in training camp, not just for the 49ers but most teams. This trend is likely playing itself out as it normally would, and it shouldn’t lead to any 100-percent conclusion about Lance in one way or another.

If Lance is still struggling after the second week, though, things might be a little more concerning.