When the San Francisco 49ers decided to move up in the 2021 NFL Draft to take Trey Lance, most considered him to be the long-term answer at quarterback.
The 49ers already had Jimmy Garoppolo in place as their starter, but by trading up to take Lance it signaled that the franchise was looking for someone else to lead them in the future.
The team gave Lance his first real opportunity to prove he was worth the draft capital as he was named the starter for the 2022 season.
However, he never got the chance to really show what he could do as he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2.
Eventually, Brock Purdy took over and he solidified himself as the starter with an impressive stretch that culminated in an NFC Championship game appearance.
As soon as San Francisco moved Lance in a deal to the Dallas Cowboys, Robert Griffin III wasted no time in blasting the organization via his Twitter account.
“It’s official. The 49ers decision to give up 3 first round picks to move up and draft Trey Lance is THE WORST DRAFT DAY MOVE OF ALL TIME,” Griffin tweeted.
It’s official. The 49ers decision to give up 3 first round picks to move up and draft Trey Lance is THE WORST DRAFT DAY MOVE OF ALL TIME. Only reason Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch aren’t fired is they hit on the last pick of last year’s draft in Brock Purdy. Now Trey has been…
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) August 25, 2023
It’s easy to judge the Lance pick in hindsight, but Griffin might have a point as there aren’t many instances in league history of a team trading significant draft capital on a quarterback just to turn around and trade them after a couple of seasons.
John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan surely regret the decision now, but what’s done is done and both sides can move on.
NEXT:
Brock Purdy Makes His Thoughts Clear On Trey Lance Trade