GM John Lynch says Trey Lance 'most likely' to remain with 49ers - ESPN

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — One day after learning that he had lost out on the San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback job, Trey Lance was back at the team facility Thursday.

Barring a surprise, that's exactly where Niners general manager John Lynch expects Lance to be reporting to work for the near future.

Speaking to KNBR radio in San Francisco on Thursday morning, Lynch said that although the Niners are exploring all options — including a trade — for Lance, there's still a strong chance Lance will remain with the team as its third quarterback going into the season.

«That's the most likely option,» Lynch said. «We're very happy with Trey. The most likely option is that he's here. If we can find a landing spot for Trey that is a really good one for him and works for our organization, that's not something that we'd turn a blind eye to. But that's not where our focus is right now. Our focus is on Trey getting back here and us being the best football team. We're getting close to Pittsburgh [in Week 1].»

Lance's status gained an additional dose of uncertainty Wednesday when Niners coach Kyle Shanahan informed him that the team is going with Sam Darnold as the backup to starter Brock Purdy. That left Lance, the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, whom San Francisco traded four picks (three first-round picks and one third-rounder) to acquire, disappointed.

So disappointed, in fact, that, after his conversation with Shanahan and then another with Lynch, the Niners excused Lance from Wednesday's practice to clear his head and come to grips with the current situation.

Lynch, who did not offer a clear answer when asked whether Lance had requested a trade, said it was a «gut punch» for Lance.

«Trey handled it incredibly well, with class,»