Fighting back emotion, 49ers general manager John Lynch offered his first public remarks after trading the former first-round pick Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys. Lynch and the 49ers received a 2024 fourth-round pick for Lance, who made just four starts during his two years in San Francisco.
Lynch traded Lance two days after the 49ers demoted him to third string behind Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold. Lance was slated to play in Friday night's preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers, but was traded shortly before kickoff.
"Really hard day," Lynch told the 49ers' broadcast team during the 49ers-Chargers game. "Such a wonderful young man. We took a shot and it didn't work out. We own that, we take accountability for it.
"His story is still very much unwritten. I'm excited for Trey. Dallas stepped up and really wanted him and they came after him. I think it's going to be a great landing spot for him. I can tell everybody it wasn't for lack of effort -- on Trey's part of our part -- that it didn't work. Circumstances took hold. He struggled through injuries. This team is ready to win, and we like our quarterback room. We like Brock Purdy a lot, we like Sam Darnold and we like Brandon Allen.
"We wish Trey all the best in Dallas. We'll always care about that young man and admire his work ethic and the person that he is."
As Lynch alluded to, the 49ers are a team that's built to win now, and in Purdy, San Francisco's brass clearly feels they have a quarterback that is capable of helping them compete for a Super Bowl. Purdy's rise from a 2022 seventh-round pick, and Lance's injury last season altered both players' careers as well as the 49ers' long-term quarterback plans.
Instead of waiting for a better offer, the 49ers accepted the Cowboys' proposal on Friday night while giving Lance more time to get acclimated to his new team before the start of the regular season. The decision speaks of the level of respect the 49ers have for Lance, who will look to get his career back on track as Dak Prescott's backup in Dallas.
