John Lynch reveals the gritty details about Trey Lance trade to Cowboys
John Lynch had to speak on behalf of the franchise after the Trey Lance trade, right?
By Peter Panacy
Merely hours after the 49ers traded Trey Lance to the Cowboys, John Lynch explained a bit more about how it all went down and why.
On Friday, merely hours before their preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers, the San Francisco 49ers engineered a massive blockbuster trade by moving quarterback Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round NFL Draft pick in 2024.
The move is a stain on the current Niners regime, one that gave up multiple first-round picks to grab Lance at No. 3 overall back in 2021.
After a tumultuous two-year stint in which Lance backed up Jimmy Garoppolo, then was handed a starting job in 2022 but suffered a season-ending ankle break in Week 2, Lance found himself as the third-string quarterback behind the new starter, Brock Purdy, and his primary backup now, Sam Darnold.
In short, an excess commodity, one whom San Francisco elected to move in an attempt to cut bait with a high-profile investment.
John Lynch offers up words on why 49ers traded Trey Lance to Cowboys
Indeed, he'll catch heat for the original trade-up and draft pick, but during the 49ers' preseason finale against the Bolts, general manager John Lynch explained a bit more about how things came to be with the Lance trade.
"We took a shot, and it didn't work out," Lynch told the Niners' television broadcasters, Greg Papa and Tim Ryan. "We own that, and we take accountability for that."
While the 49ers likely envisioned Lance taking over as the franchise signal-caller a year after he was drafted, injuries ultimately got in the way.
Lynch explained a bit more on that, too.
"Circumstances took hold, and he struggled through injuries," Lynch added. "This team is ready to win, and Brock Purdy stepped up. So did Sam Darnold and so did Brandon Allen."
Not only did Lance suffer the broken ankle, but a broken finger on his throwing hand thwarted his rookie-season efforts, too, causing a complete overhaul of his throwing motion.
Related story: These 3 factors led to Trey Lance's demise with 49ers
But it was that ankle break that effectively doomed Lance's tenure with San Francisco.
After news broke that Lance had lost the backup job to Darnold, a transaction seemed inevitable despite both Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan expressing hope that the quarterback would remain on the 49ers roster.
"Dallas stepped up and really wanted him," Lynch explained.
And now, Lance is a Cowboy.
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