The events that occurred within the 49ers organization Wednesday raised several questions and concerns, but general manager John Lynch made one thing very clear the following morning.
After it was revealed that Sam Darnold won the 49ers' backup quarterback job over Trey Lance, The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported, citing sources, that the team was exploring trade possibilities for Lance and has been "shopping him" for much of the offseason.
"That's not accurate," Lynch said, firmly, while appearing on KNBR's "Muprh & Mac" podcast Thursday morning. "If I responded to every report, I'd have no time in my day. But that is not accurate."
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Russini reported the team had Lance on the trading block as far back as the 2023 NFL Draft in April. But as Lynch emphasized, that was never the case.
But that doesn't mean Lynch isn't answering any phone calls regarding the former No. 3 overall pick.
"If we could find a landing spot for Trey that is a really good one for him and works for our organization, that’s not something we’d turn a blind eye to," Lynch said.
"But that’s not where our focus is right now. I think our focus is on Trey getting back here and us being the best football team."
San Francisco 49ers
After 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan broke the news to Lance in a private one-on-one conversation Wednesday, both parties agreed it would be best that the quarterback took the day off from practice.
The 23-year-old is set to return to the 49ers practice facility Thursday, and Shanahan said he'll play in San Francisco's final preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday at Levi's Stadium.
What happens thereafter, though, remains uncertain.