3 former 49ers players who failed with their new team in 2023
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: Quarterback Trey Lance (Cowboys)
To a small extent, Trey Lance's demise with the 49ers wasn't entirely his fault. A thumb injury on his throwing hand in the 2021 preseason curtailed his development, and then a broken ankle suffered early in his first full year as a starter the following season opened the door to Brock Purdy's ascent.
That said, the Niners' massive investment to get up to No. 3 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft to draft Lance meant they had full confidence in his ability to turn into a franchise cornerstone.
It was a whiff, plain and simple.
Because of Purdy's ascent, and in light of San Francisco not wanting to be patient with Lance's delayed development any longer, the North Dakota State product was shipped off to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick.
Lance went from being a third-string backup behind Purdy and fellow quarterback Sam Darnold to being a Cowboys third-string backup behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush.
Not exactly an improvement of situation there.
Lance took precisely zero regular-season snaps for Dallas in 2023. While the 23 year old's NFL journey is far from over, it's not exactly looking promising.