The San Francisco 49ers officially ended the Trey Lance experiment on Friday. After trading Lance to the Dallas Cowboys, 49ers general manager John Lynch was in the booth during the team’s final preseason game. Lynch’s comments have generally not been well received.
Lynch started the interview by saying it was “a really hard day” and calling Lance a “wonderful young man.”
He then went deeper into the trade.
“We took a shot and it didn’t work out. We own that. We take accountability for it. But I think, as I think you guys do, his story is still very much unwritten. And I’m excited for Trey. Dallas stepped up and really wanted him. They came after him. And I think it’s gonna be a great landing spot for him. I can tell everybody it wasn’t for lack of effort on Trey’s part, or on our part that it didn’t work. Circumstances took hold and he struggled through injuries.”
Lynch then spoke highly of the team’s three remaining quarterbacks, Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold and Brandon Allen before saying, “We wish Trey all the best in Dallas. We’ll always care about that young man and admire his work ethic and the person that he is.”
49ers GM John Lynch — in the booth — on trading QB Trey Lance to the Cowboys: "We took a shot and it didn't work out. We own that. We take accountability for it… his story is still very much unwritten. I'm excited for Trey. Dallas stepped up and really wanted him." pic.twitter.com/4s6ERBYMNu
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 26, 2023
People hearing Lynch’s words were less than enthusiastic about what he said.
What does "We take accountability for it" mean? Is he resigning? Is someone losing their job? Otherwise, it's just words that mean nothing. https://t.co/3yBOToWPjA
— Jason Krump (@JasonKrump) August 26, 2023
“We own that” as he hides from the media and a press conference to get thrown lob questions by the team’s preseason broadcasting partner. Sureeeeeeeee https://t.co/uV1PL8Kfgc
— John P (@john_p_51) August 26, 2023
You took a shot? No, you paid a large price so you could walk the ball to the hoop for an easy layup only to have it bounce back right into your face. https://t.co/LURrIPTScR
— Brendan Sugrue (@BrendanSugrue) August 26, 2023
The "shot" Lynch talked about: The 49ers tried to draft a developmental prospect in win-now mode. They tried to have their cake and eat it, too.
Could it have worked if Trey Lance didn't suffer those two injuries? We'll never know. But Brock Purdy erased much of the downside https://t.co/1M91HFA3sO
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) August 26, 2023
It doesn’t seem as though there have been any consequences for Lynch, Kyle Shanahan or anyone else with the 49ers. So, it would be interesting to hear what Lynch means when he says “we take accountability for it.”
Despite that, this move is actually quite defensible. The 49ers were never going to get the return for Lance that they gave up to get him. And as the team’s third-string (or maybe even fourth-string) quarterback, he was unlikely to do much to help the team going forward.
