NFL.com's Adam Rank drops prediction on how 49ers address Trey Lance trade

Adam Rank isn't necessarily buying the idea that the 49ers will trade away Trey Lance at the soonest possible opportunity.

Right in the middle of the 2023 NFL Draft, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport speculated the San Francisco 49ers would consider trading quarterback Trey Lance at a point much later this offseason, circling August on the calendar.

It carried some merit. After all, since the Niners didn't trade Lance during the draft, the next plausible time would be in the middle of training camp and at the start of the preseason, perhaps capitalizing on another team losing a starting signal-caller to a serious injury.

Recent news about Brock Purdy potentially returning sooner than originally expected from offseason elbow surgery only casts more doubt on whether or not Lance will play a significant role for San Francisco this season.

With fellow quarterback Sam Darnold also waiting in the fold for a chance to resurrect his own career, it's no surprise why Lance trade talk is heating up again.

However, at least according to the opinion of a 49ers fan-favorite NFL.com analyst, Adam Rank, Lance isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

If at all.

Adam Rank says 49ers keep Trey Lance, Sam Darnold as 'insurance' for Brock Purdy

Rank put together a synopsis of what's going on with the Niners entering 2023, and his assessment about the team being in "Super Bowl or bust" mode despite so much uncertainty at quarterback is pretty revealing.

After all, San Francisco is laden with offensive playmakers to support whoever is under center, and its defense is expected to be in the same caliber as it was a season ago when no other team surrendered fewer points.

That's not the kicker here, though.

Instead, let's focus on what Rank thought general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan would do when it comes to Lance, Purdy, Darnold and the whole quarterbacking mess.

Rank's thought? No trade anytime soon, not even this season.

His words:

"If Purdy does indeed prove to be the guy in 2023, that will set up a pretty interesting scenario with Lance, who has at least two more seasons remaining on his rookie contract. It's not like San Francisco can trade him at this point, unless another team's starter goes down with injury before the season starts. Would the Niners even want to trade him? We don't know how Purdy is going to rebound, and Lance and Darnold are pretty good insurance options. My feeling is one of these guys is going to set himself apart this season, and one of them will eventually be traded next offseason."

Read more: Niners gave Ian Rapoport some 'pushback' for Trey Lance chatter

Now, Darnold is only around on a one-year deal, so cross him off any trade suggestion from Rank. He's speaking about Lance and Purdy exclusively.

And, from a financial perspective, all three quarterbacks roughly $14 million combined this season, which is very affordable.

Considering Rank's point about Purdy and his recovery, why would the 49ers entertain trading Lance for anything less than a can't-refuse offer, especially when they already have a history of team quarterbacks suffering serious injuries?

Perhaps the trade conversations should be tabled, as Rank suggests will happen.

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