While the 49ers may ultimately hold onto Trey Lance, these five squads should be on the phone with John Lynch about a possible trade prior to the 2023 season beginning.
Right now, based on pure speculation and the observation of both field time and stats from the preseason, quarterback Trey Lance is poised to find himself No. 3 on the San Franciso 49ers depth chart behind the starter, Brock Purdy, and the veteran who secured the primary backup role, Sam Darnold.
This isn't set in stone, of course, as head coach Kyle Shanahan even told reporters that it's feasible the depth chart changes during the regular season, too.
Regardless, it sure doesn't seem as if Lance is going to factor into the Niners' long-term plans anymore after being selected No. 3 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Perhaps Shanahan and general manager John Lynch elect to hold onto Lance this season, using him as insurance to guard against injuries/flame-outs to Purdy and even Darnold.
Still, these five quarterback-seeking teams should strongly consider picking up the phone and asking Shanahan, Lynch and Co. what it would take to trade Lance to them.
No. 5: Washington Commanders
Projected Starter: Sam Howell
Unless the Washington Commanders are biding their time within the NFC East until Super Bowl-contending teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys are much weaker in the next few years, they'd stand for a massive upgrade at quarterback.
Sam Howell, the projected starter who made one start his rookie 2022 season after being drafted in Round 5, might be the guy. If he's not, Washington has a capable backup in Jacoby Brissett.
None of those names should inspire playoff confidence, and there's a better-than-not chance neither quarterback is exactly someone who can steer the Commanders into the postseason.
Since former owner Dan Snyder is no longer in the picture, the notion of trading with Shanahan should be an easy one, particularly with a former San Francisco front office executive in Washington's general manager, Martin Mayhew, calling the roster shots.
Mayhew can see the upside in Lance and could look to engineer a trade with the idea of finding that long-term option under center.
No. 4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Projected Starter: Baker Mayfield
The post-Tom Brady era is going to be a challenging one for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are still dealing with salary-cap challenges and are hoping to at least find a stopgap solution at quarterback with Baker Mayfield, who recently beat out Kyle Trask for the Bucs' starting job.
While notably better than Washington's situation, Mayfield isn't exactly a long-term solution under center either. Sure, the NFC South is a very winnable division at the moment, and the Bucs could easily wind up seizing it with no better than a 10-7 record.
But, with eyes on the future, a would-be trade with the 49ers for Trey Lance should be viewed as the more aggressive move. Mayfield is signed through 2023 only anyway, so a long-term option has to be in the cards.
Lance would have a questionable offensive line in front of him, yes. But he'd also be pairing with elite wide receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, which would help his stock value.
No. 3: Pittsburgh Steelers
Projected Starter: Kenny Pickett
Bailing on second-year pro Kenny Pickett would be borderline irresponsible for the Pittsburgh Steelers, particularly after they used a late first-round NFL Draft pick on him a year ago.
That said, doing so is less about the draft investment and more about where Pittsburgh finds itself within the AFC North, chock full of three other franchise-caliber quarterbacks in the Cleveland Browns' Deshaun Watson, the Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson and the Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow.
Pickett, by any decent measure, is not going to find himself on that list anytime soon, if at all.
Trading for Trey Lance also might not solve Pittsburgh's quarterbacking challenges right away, but it would at least reinforce the quarterback room now if Pickett struggles, and it could potentially shape up to the point where the Steelers would have a young, dynamic quarterback who could compete with the likes of Burrow or Jackson, provided Lance develops in a way the 49ers originally thought he would.
Simply put, Pittsburgh needs an elite quarterback to match the prowess within the AFC North. It doesn't have one, currently.
No. 2: Tennessee Titans
Projected Starter: Ryan Tannehill
There's another former Niners front office executive to pay attention to here when it comes to potential Trey Lance trades, and it's current Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon.
Carthon already engineered a slew of major shakeups out in Nashville, and it's also pretty clear he fully intends the Titans to move on from veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill after this season, if not sooner.
That could feasibly pave the way for Tennessee's second-round pick from this year's NFL Draft, Will Levis, who has had some shaky accuracy concerns during offseason workouts and training camp. Plus, being put behind a questionable offensive line could spell problems for both quarterbacks, too.
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If Carthon was to trade for Lance, it'd likely be to shelve him for one full season while letting either Tannehill or Levis take lumps behind a lackluster O-line and with few offensive weapons in support.
Eventually fixing those issues, Lance could be that young centerpiece and an upgrade over Levis, too.
No. 1: Minnesota Vikings
Projected Starter: Kirk Cousins
There'd be a ton of irony in this if the Minnesota Vikings elect to let veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins walk, and Kyle Shanahan decides he wants a free-agent Cousins to join him out in San Francisco, finally, after years of speculation that it would ultimately happen.
Minnesota isn't expected to re-sign or extend Cousins beyond this season, according to Cousins himself, meaning the Vikings are going to be on the prowl for another signal-caller soon.
Why not Trey Lance, the Minnesota native who'd be coming home to his boyhood team?
Trading for Lance now makes some sense, particularly from the vantage point of having him sit as the backup, which would technically be a promotion over what he'd get with the 49ers. Unlike his situation with the Niners, though, Lance would effectively be handed the starting job for 2024 after Cousins departs.
Possibly to San Francisco, if Shanahan decides Brock Purdy isn't the guy and wants Cousins as his No. 1.