SANTA CLARA — Trey Lance spent a lot more time watching than playing this season.
On Tuesday, Lance said he learned a lot this season from observing teammate Brock Purdy, who turned 23 last month and is 134 days his elder.
“We can talk about throws all day,” Lance said of Purdy. “He can make every throw in the world, and he showed that throughout the year.”
But Lance said what impressed him most about Purdy was how he handled himself from the moment he arrived with the 49ers as the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
“The way he inserted himself in the offense. The way he was, treating other people, really,” Lance said.
“He treated guys from the first day in the building on the practice squad the same as Nick Bosa. So I think that says a lot about him as a person.”
Purdy sustained a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow on Sunday and now faces an uncertain offseason.
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Before he sustained the injury in the 49ers’ season-ending loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Purdy had become the biggest story in the NFL.
The 49ers won eight consecutive games after Purdy took over for injured Jimmy Garoppolo. The rookie threw a career-high 334 yards and three touchdowns in the 49ers’ playoff-opening win over the Seattle Seahawks.
“Brock plays the game the right way,” Lance said. “That’s why he had so much success.
“He worked his butt off all of OTAs, since the first day he got here, since the day he was drafted. So he deserved everything he got this year and more. I truly believe that.”
Lance was the 49ers' starting quarterback to open the season. But he sustained a season-ending injury in Week 2. He underwent surgery to repair a fibula fracture and ligament damage to his right ankle.
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While he was out for the season, Lance attended meetings and said he tried to provide Purdy with as much assistance as possible.
“I tried to help him as much as I could,” Lance said. “I learned a lot from him, as well, just from a human being standpoint. He’s great person — someone I see a lot of myself in. So it’s great for me to have a quarterback room like we did throughout the year.”