Robert Griffin III isn’t ready to jump to conclusions one way or the other about 49ers quarterback Trey Lance.
But the former QB and current ESPN analyst definitely seems bullish on Lance’s potential and believes that the 21-year old will shine if given the opportunity to be the 49ers' unquestioned QB1 this season.
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"The only way for Trey Lance to truly develop is to play," Griffin told Niners Nation’s Jordan Elliott this week at the NFL Scouting Combine. "He's got to make mistakes. He's got to have success. So, I think you just reserve judgment until then. I know that's not the popular thing to do on TV, but you won't see me talking bad about Trey Lance on TV because I don't know what he is yet.
"[H]e has the skill set. He has the arm talent. He has the athleticism. And from what I've been told, he has the mindset. So, if he gets that opportunity, and Jimmy's [Garoppolo] not there anymore, I think it's going to be fireworks. But he's got to prove that."
After the 49ers selected Lance with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, all sorts of expectations were thrown on the young QB. But with Jimmy Garoppolo holding on to the starting job, Lance’s season was spent mostly watching and learning, other than two up-and-down starts where he flashed his high ceiling but also made some typical rookie mistakes.
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Griffin, who played under Shanahan with Washington, has been a fan of the 49ers drafting Lance ever since draft night.
“I would give them an A-plus,” Griffin said on Bleacher Report’s “Draft Night” when asked to grade the 49ers’ selection. “I think it shows growth in Kyle Shanahan, that this is the type of player that he needs to get over that hump. …
“Over the years, he’s gotten production out of guys where it’s been more about the system than the quarterback. With Trey Lance, he’s got an opportunity with a guy that can really make plays with his feet, but I think the thing that’s undervalued about him is the fact that he can literally throw the ball anywhere on the field.”
In the hot-take world we live in now, credit Griffin for waiting to expound too deeply one way or another about Lance. But it’s still fair to be excited about the “fireworks” that Lance is capable of if he reaches his tremendous potential.