The 49ers aren’t likely trading Trey Lance anytime soon, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is putting the month of August on the calendar as a time to watch.
There was plenty of speculation and rumor that the San Francisco 49ers would look to trade quarterback Trey Lance at some point during the 2023 NFL Draft.
Especially if they wanted to recoup at least some of the investments made in him way back when he was selected at No. 3 overall in the 2021 draft.
However, just hours before Round 1 of the draft kicked off, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reported that no deal was imminent, and the Houston Texans moving up to No. 2 overall and grabbing quarterback C.J. Stroud ruled out one of the few remaining possibilities.
When day two of the draft passed without a Lance deal, the thought of him being traded faded away.
The Niners aren’t likely to trade Lance away for day-three scraps, but that doesn’t mean Lance is fully off the trade block.
And NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport suggests it’ll be a matter of “when,” not “if.”
Ian Rapoport says 49ers could trade Trey Lance this August
Speaking on NFL Network’s broadcast of day three of the 2023 draft, Rapoport broke down San Francisco’s situation with Lance and how things could be a bit weird with him looking up at fellow quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold on the depth chart:
From our NFL Draft broadcast: A discussion of the #49ers QB situation, including what could happen to Trey Lance. pic.twitter.com/0hwpl1p57P
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 29, 2023
“To have the potential No. 3 overall pick on your roster be the potential third-string quarterback is awkward,” Rapoport said. “And at some point, there is more value out there to trade him than keeping him.”
Rapoport does have a point. The 49ers don’t need to be in a rush to trade Lance, and additional rumors and reports suggested as much, too.
Read More: Niners won’t trade Trey Lance for this simple reason
For starters, Purdy is still recovering from offseason elbow injury, and he might not be ready until the regular season. Perhaps even a few weeks into it. Darnold, meanwhile, is going through his first year in the system and is a reclamation project.
Right now, Lance’s trade value has to be awfully low. If another team loses its quarterback to an injury during training camp or the preseason, however, Lance’s value could increase dramatically.
It sounds like that’s what Rapoport is banking on being the case.