49ers' former No 3 draft pick Trey Lance draws interest from CFL team

Chase Daniel explains how the San Francisco 49ers have all the leverage in their contract negotiation talks between Brock Purdy.

The San Francisco 49ers traded a 2021 first-round pick and two future first-round and third-round picks to the Miami Dolphins to select quarterback Trey Lance No. 3 in the draft that year.

The team seemingly thought Lance was the quarterback of their future. He was a standout quarterback at North Dakota State, throwing for 2,786 yards and 28 touchdown passes while rushing for 1,100 more yards in his lone full season with the Bison in 2019.

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance warms up before the game against the Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago, Sept. 11, 2022. (Daniel Bartel-USA Today Sports)

The label of "franchise quarterback" could never be used for Lance during his time with the 49ers, or in the NFL for that matter.

The once highly sought-after quarterback hit free agency in the offseason after a stint with the Dallas Cowboys. On Wednesday, TSN reported the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Roughriders added Lance to their negotiation list. The CFL team will have exclusive rights should Lance decide to play north of the border.

Lance started his rookie season as a backup to Jimmy Garoppolo and was only able to start two games. He was named the starting quarterback in 2022 but an injury in Week 2 cost him the season. By the time he was at full health, Brock Purdy had seized control of the starting job.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance throws a pass against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Jan. 5, 2025. (Tim Heitman-Imagn Images)

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