As Trey Lance heads into his first season at starting quarterback for the 49ers, some bumps in the road along the way are likely.
And in the eyes of Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young, it isn’t those hiccups that could cause Lance to stumble. It’s the outside noise that could come with those mistakes -- something the San Francisco legend knows a thing or two about.
“It’s the most difficult, it’s beyond. It’s not otherworldly, because you can do it, but it is a nearly impossible job,” Young told KNBR’s “Tolbert & Copes” Friday of blocking out the noise as a player.
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Lance’s job this season is a difficult one to begin with, with the 22-year-old taking over the offense of a Super Bowl-caliber roster. The supporting cast of stars around him certainly will make the job easier, but expectations are high and it all begins with Lance.
And despite Lance and his new backup, Jimmy Garoppolo, assuring the media they’re ecstatic to be back together in the quarterback room, the one-time starter’s presence will only contribute to outside narratives throughout the season.
“Let’s be honest about it, and it’s been proven by the number of people who have been able to do it effectively,” Young said regarding the team’s past quarterbacks. “You can count on two hands in the last 10 years. This is a nearly impossible job in a nearly impossible city to do it, and that’s a fact.”
And unlike the 49ers’ former signal-callers, Lance has just 318 college passes to his name and only 71 in the NFL. Young has characterized that inexperience as “awesomely raw” in the past, and it’s why many are holding off on any real judgment of Lance’s capabilities until he can settle into the starting role.
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“When I say he’s ‘awesomely raw,’ that’s the truth,” Young told “Tolbert & Copes.” “If you’re not ready to watch Trey -- he has 500 hurdles to go over, 50 filters to go through, and you’re going to be part of it. You’ll boo him, and you’ll have to go through that filter. You’ll have to lose a big game on the road, [Lance throws] an interception at the end of the game and rewrites himself from that.
“There’s all kinds of stuff that he’s going to have to do, and we have to admit it’s nearly impossible. For everybody. So yeah, let’s go. Let’s do this.”
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Young is the last 49ers quarterback to lead the team to a Super Bowl victory, though many have tried to bring a sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy to the Bay since.
Coach Kyle Shanahan has made it clear he believes Lance can handle the pressures of the job, just like the quarterback has handled all of the noise throughout his young career so far.
And with the Sept. 11 regular-season opener against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field just one week away, he’ll soon have a chance to prove it.