Trent Sherfield wasn't about to take "no" for an answer.
49ers rookie quarterback Trey Lance made history Sunday by connecting with Sherfield for a 5-yard touchdown pass on his first career NFL throw. Naturally, you'd think that Lance had the ball tucked away someplace special to put in his trophy case for later.
But the 21-year-old signal-caller tried to give the ball to Sherfield to commemorate the receiver's first regular-season touchdown as a 49er.
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Sherfield explained Thursday that he had to convince Lance to keep the souvenir.
“I gave it to Trey. That was 100 percent definitely for him,” Sherfield told reporters Thursday. “I’ve caught a touchdown in the regular season before.”
Sherfield, who caught a touchdown in a 2018 game against the Atlanta Falcons, says he kept his jersey but made sure Lance agreed to take the ball.
The 49ers receiver revealed how the conversation went.
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"Me and Trey we were going back and forth," Sherfield said. "'Oh, no you keep.' 'No, I want you to have it.' I was like, 'Bro, just keep the ball.' He was like, 'I already got one from the preseason.' I said, 'Man, those don't count.' So, you know, I let him have it and I just kept the jersey.
"It’s a done deal. It’s signed, sealed and delivered."
That preseason touchdown pass that Lance kept also went to Sherfield, when he connected with the receiver for an 80-yard score in the preseason opener.
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The Lance-to-Sherfield connection is one 49ers fans might see more of as the season goes along.
Coach Kyle Shanahan has said he wants to get Lance snaps to further his development, and the four plays Lance ran vs. the Lions gave a small glimpse into what the 49ers hope their offense can evolve into by the season's end.
As for Sherfield, the special teams ace rose up the depth chart during training camp and the preseason and now is splitting snaps with Brandon Aiyuk opposite Deebo Samuel.
"Textbook Trent," as Mohamed Sanu calls him, has made a good impression on Shanahan and the 49ers coach isn't going to hand Aiyuk 40 snaps a game.
“If he wants to be out there every single play, he’s got to be a lot better than the guy behind him,” Shanahan said of Aiyuk.