49ers news: Trade Trey Lance? This NFL analyst says 'no'

The 49ers could be looking at Trey Lance as a tradable asset prior to the regular season, but NFL Network's Brian Baldinger thinks that's a bad idea.

The San Francisco 49ers are staring at the hard reality that their prized investment from the 2021 NFL Draft, quarterback Trey Lance, is never going to come close to justifying that said investment: three first-round NFL Draft picks and one third-rounder.

The Niners are also looking at the hard reality that it might be in everyone's best interest to proverbially "cut the cord" with Lance by trading him away to the highest bidder prior to the start of the 2023 regular season.

Even if that bid would return "pennies on the dollar" in comparison to what San Francisco originally gave up to draft him.

Lance isn't going to be the 49ers' starter this season, barring an injury or complete meltdown by No. 1 quarterback Brock Purdy. And, at least in the court of fan opinion, it's likely Lance winds up losing the backup quarterback job to Sam Darnold, a reclamation project who was also drafted third overall but has far more experience at the NFL level than Lance has between both college and the pros.

All of this has led to speculation that Lance will be on the trading block, either right before the regular season or potentially up to the NFL trade deadline later this fall.

However, according to one well-respected NFL analyst, trading away Lance at this point might not be the best idea.

NFL.com analyst Brian Baldinger on 49ers trading Trey Lance: 'I don’t see there’s any benefit to it'

This shouldn't be a shocker to anyone, but the talk about Lance, Darnold and the Niners' No. 2 quarterbacking spot has pretty much dominated anything regarding the red and gold this preseason, and trades have equally been a part of that conversation.

Especially with Lance.

That said, NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger recently appeared on San Francisco's 95.7 The Game with hosts Bonta Hill and Joe Shasky.

Baldinger's conclusion? Well, it doesn't involve trading Lance.

Instead, pointing out the 49ers' issues with injuries to their quarterbacks in recent years, Baldinger feels as if it's best to keep all three on the roster, given that all three are perfectly capable of starting right now:

"You can dress three quarterbacks right now. You can dress all three guys right now, no matter what the order is – whether it’s Sam and Trey or Trey and Sam. But the history says, and it’s not a good history, that the 49ers are gonna need one, two or three quarterbacks. You’re gonna need three quarterbacks to finish the season. It’s just their history, whether it’s a jinx or a hex or whatever. I don’t think there’s any benefit to putting a “For Sale” sign in Trey Lance’s yard. I don’t see there’s any benefit to it. Let the kid hang in there."

Read more: What could 49ers get back in a Trey Lance trade?

You can listen to the full interview with Baldinger below:

Beyond what Baldinger pointed out about San Francisco's quarterbacking injury history, the 49ers can also justify holding onto Lance as a safeguard against Purdy flaming out in his second year, plus the real possibility that Darnold is just as bad as his days with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers suggested.

In a sense, the Niners still hold all the cards here and aren't in a position where trading Lance is an absolute necessity.

They know that. Lance likely does, too.

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