San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback Trey Lance is set to receive his first NFL start on Sunday, and it definitely won’t be an easy one. With starter Jimmy Garoppolo dealing with a calf injury, Lance will take his position under center for Week 5 and try to take down the undefeated Arizona Cardinals.
The decision was confirmed to reporters on Friday by 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and later shared on the team’s official social media.
Speaking about Lance’s first start, Shanahan said he wants to keep it simple for 2021’s third overall pick.
“You don’t want to sit there and make up too much new stuff,” Shanahan explained. “There’s only a couple days of practice, you just want to make sure he’s as comfortable as possible.”
Lance, on the other hand, told reporters that he is excited about the opportunity and that he feels “prepared” for the challenge he’ll face.
“I’m excited, obviously, but I’m not going to make it bigger than what it is,” Lance said. “I feel prepared, and I had a good week preparing.”
Trey Lance made his NFL debut in Week 1, playing four snaps on offense and contributing with a five-yard touchdown pass in a 41-33 win over the Detroit Lions. Lance then didn’t play at all in Week 2 before playing three snaps in a 21-28 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Lance had his best showing as a pro in last week’s clash against the Seattle Seahawks, stepping in under center after Garoppolo went down. The North Dakota State product completed nine out of 18 pass attempts, throwing for 157 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 41 yards on seven attempts.
