There are three guarantees in life: death, taxes, and the impending Trey Lance trade. After officially falling to third on the San Francisco 49ers quarterback depth chart, it’s safe to assume that the former third-overall pick will not be a part of the team for very long. While he is one of the biggest draft busts in recent memory, there are a few teams that should be willing to roll the dice on the talented passer.
Sam Darnold has played well in camp, grabbing the opportunity behind Brock Purdy. He's earned it. No doubt, this will be a decision Trey Lance will take hard. SF will now explore options with him. Prior to the Draft, there were a few trade discussions. Perhaps those will pick up. https://t.co/KBm8Kf7gML
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 23, 2023
Top 5 Trey Lance Trade Destinations
Minnesota Vikings
It’s an open secret that the Minnesota Vikings are going to move on from Kirk Cousins at the end of the 2023 season. The team didn’t extend his contract and seemingly has no interest in a good-but-not-great quarterback who doesn’t have what it takes to carry a team to contention. Lance may or may not be an upgrade, but there is no denying that his ceiling is a lot higher than Cousins. The Vikings should trade for Trey Lance, spend a year watching him in practice, and then decide if he can be their quarterback of the future.
Cincinnati Bengals
Quite frankly, it’s hard to think of any team willing to give Trey Lance a chance to start at this point in the offseason. So, the former third-overall pick might have to accept life as a backup quarterback for the foreseeable future. The season hasn’t even started yet, and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is already battling injury. While it seems like the former first-overall pick will be ready for Week 1, Cincinnati needs a better Plan B than Trevor Siemian. Every game matters in the race for the AFC’s top seed, and if Burrow needs to miss time, Lance is a better bet to keep the ship afloat. This alone justifies a trade for Trey Lance. As an added bonus, if Lance performs well, then Cincinnati can probably trade him in the offseason for a lot more than what it would take to acquire him.
Philadelphia Eagles
After two games of preseason action, the Marcus Mariota experiment appears to be an outright disaster. The former second-overall pick had a rough go of it as Atlanta’s starter, but now it doesn’t look like he’s even capable of backup work. Trey Lance and Jalen Hurts have similar skill sets, so a trade to improve their QB2 position makes a lot of sense. Nick Sirianni already helped develop Hurts from an athletic prospect to a true franchise passer, so maybe he can do the same with Lance.
Baltimore Ravens
When he’s healthy, Lamar Jackson is one of the most dangerous and effective quarterbacks in the league. However, in recent years, Jackson has struggled to stay on the field. Tyler Huntley was unable to step up in either of the past two seasons, so a Trey Lance trade should solve their backup quarterback problem. If Jackson has to miss time again, Lance has the skill to win a few games with this talented roster.
Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and will be the face of the Los Angeles Chargers for at least the next decade. However, should he go down, the team will have to turn to Easton Stick or Max Duggan. Last year, Herbert played through a severe shoulder injury that clearly limited his performance, in large part because there was nobody capable of starting in his place. If the team trades for Trey Lance, the former third-overall pick could fill in for a week or two while Herbert returns to full health.
Main Photo: Stan Szeto – USA Today Sports
