Trey Lance’s run with the San Francisco 49ers has not gone according to plan.
The franchise drafted him in 2021 to serve as the franchise quarterback going forward, but he has been unable to really earn the spot with his play.
Along the way Lance’s time in The Bay has been mired by inconsistent production, injuries and weird female drama.
With Brock Purdy’s ascent to QB1 for the Niners last year, there doesn’t seem to be much room for Lance in San Francisco.
That has led to rumors that the organization may be shopping him.
According to reports, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts have quietly emerged as potential suitors for Lance’s services.
What makes this somewhat interesting is that Indy, in particular, has been linked to possibly taking a quarterback in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft. If the Colts are truly candidates for Lance, it really wouldn’t make sense to go that route.
Will Levis out of Kentucky, who has primarily been in the news over the last few days because of his girlfriend’s provocative photos, has widely been regarded as the favorite to land in Indianapolis if the Colts draft a passer.
But if Lance is coming, the Colts will likely look to shore up another area of need.
As for the Buccaneers, they signed Baker Mayfield to a one-year deal this summer in hopes of capitalizing on how veteran-laden the squad currently is and how awful the NFC South was last year. They are in win-now mode with an eye towards the future.
Presumably, if their interest in Lance is legit, he would check the latter box.
What a weekend for the Mayfields. https://t.co/pKK6oyhpfD
— Game 7 (@game7__) April 22, 2023
In his rookie season Lance completed nearly 58 percent of his passes and had a 97.3 passer rating while seeing limited action.
There is definitely some raw talent there, though it is unclear what his ceiling truly is.
With either the Colts or Bucs ultimately opt to take a chance on Lance at some point in this offseason? One way or another, an answer will likely reveal itself over the next few weeks.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.