Trey Lance's dedication to studying the playbook already has impressed the 49ers' brass, and some of his new teammates also have liked what they've seen from him on the practice field.
In NBC Sports' Peter King's latest Football Morning in America column, he spoke with Kyle Shanahan, and the 49ers' head coach explained what wideout Deebo Samuel told him about the No. 3 overall draft pick.
“But Deebo Samuel comes up to me at one point, and he’s like, ‘This guy’s got some balls.’ And I think that’s what the guys feel," Shanahan told King regarding Lance's first week of training camp. "He goes out there and he’s not scared to fail. He goes out there and lets it rip, and there’s some good, some bad. Players can feel it. When you’re not scared to fail and you’re talented, you do things the right way, guys believe it’s a matter of time.”
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SIGN UP HERE Lance steadily has been winning over teammates, coaches and fans with some eye-popping plays and his outstanding athleticism for the position. All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner also spoke to King about Lance, pointing out that the young QB still needs to back up what he's shown on the practice field in a live game setting.
“You see the raw talent, and you see the ball fly out of his hand. Impressive,” Warner told King. “Games will be different. But 11 on 11 out here is still football, and we’re seeing a young guy work and be humble and make throws like that. That’s what he needs to do.”
RELATED: Jimmy G, Lance have comfortable relationship in QB room
The 49ers began camp with a clear directive that there was no quarterback competition between Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. Shanahan remains confident that Garoppolo gives the 49ers the best chance to win.
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Shanahan also did say he hopes to get Lance some early reps this season, and clearly the rookie is hard at work to prove he is ready to compete for the job.
The 49ers likely will stick with Jimmy G as long as he is healthy and the offense is playing well, but if either of those things change, the QB competition could be opened.