Everyone associated with the 49ers has had nothing but praise for Trey Lance.
From general manager John Lynch to head coach Kyle Shanahan and linebacker Fred Warner, the 49ers have universally lauded the 21-year-old's incredible ability, desire to learn, competitive greatness and maturity. You can now add Arden Key to that list.
The free-agent defensive lineman did an Instagram Live Q&A with fans Monday and loved what he saw from Lance during the quarterback's rookie season.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"Trey got better throughout the year," Key said (h/t TheSFNiners). "He going to be a motherf-----g dog. He is going to be a dog. Now, granted, he going to have to make mistakes and s--t like that because he [wasn't able] to play this [past] year, but that motherf----r going to be a dog, though."
Lance started two games during his rookie season in place of an injured Jimmy Garoppolo, doing most of his development behind the scenes for the 49ers' scout team.
While Lynch told NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco that the 49ers have budgeted for a scenario to bring Garoppolo back to compete with Lance next season, San Francisco will likely trade the veteran quarterback and enter OTAs with Lance as QB1.
RELATED: What Jimmy G landing with Saints would mean for 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
Find the latest San Francisco 49ers news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
Lance couldn't supplant Garoppolo as the starter in Year 1, but that doesn't mean he did anything to make the 49ers think they made the wrong choice in drafting him at No. 3 overall. On the contrary, Lynch and Shanahan remain steadfast in their belief that the North Dakota State product is the perfect trigger man for their offense.
"He is who we thought he was and probably even stronger," Lynch told Bay Area reporters during his end-of-season press conference. "You have to have a lot to you. You have to have a lot of substance to play quarterback in this league. Both physically and from just a who you are standpoint. I think Trey checks both those boxes. What you know are the things that Kyle and his staff have identified as things for Trey to work with.
"This guy’s focus, his work ethic, he’ll have a plan, and it will be a comprehensive one. When you have the talent and that ability, and what he showed me in the moments, and there were few, when he had the opportunity to go play, I saw that competitive greatness that you look for in people that are going to lead your organization. However brief it was, I saw it. It gives me a lot of belief that it’s there, and he is exactly who we thought he was when we picked him, and we’re really excited about that."
As for Key, the veteran defensive lineman notched 6.5 sacks, 22 tackles, five tackles for a loss, and 17 quarterback hits for the 49ers this past season. While Key would welcome a return to Santa Clara, as is usually the case, money talks.
"I want to come back," Key said. "S--t, they got to want me to come back. Well, they want me to come back. We got to see if the money is right."