QB Trey Lance Press Conference

QB Trey Lance

Press Conference – July 28, 2023

San Francisco 49ers

How would you sum up the first three days of practice?

“It’s good, a lot of fun. Yeah, absolutely, it’s been a lot of fun. I’m just trying to take advantage of all the reps I get, working with all the guys and it’s just been a ton of fun just to be able to be back out there and to have our full room back, man, it’s been a ton of fun.”

There’s not a lot of reps to go around. Do you do anything on the side field or anything to augment what you’re getting in the actual practice?

“Yeah, I mean, live reps, we’ve got four guys, so it just kind of is what it is and I just try to do as best I can to take advantage of every rep I get.”

How did you link up with private quarterbacks coach Jeff Christensen in the offseason? Did someone recommend him to you?

“I had a friend his name is [former North Dakota State quarterback] Zeb Nolan that I played with in college. And he had worked with Jeff, and we talk ball all the time, so we had talked about it and I talked to Jeff. And then, yeah, we started working together and that was it.”

What were some of the things you focused on with Jeff?

“I don’t want to get into all the details, but I feel really good about what we’ve accomplished and I’m going to continue to work and continue to get better.”

Along those lines, what did you gain from just being around Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and maybe picking his brain? Anything that you kind of glommed onto?

“Yeah, I think I talked about it during OTAs, but it’s just awesome to be around a guy like that. Obviously, he’s probably doing it at the highest level there is maybe, I don’t want to say ever, I don’t want to get into controversy, but he’s playing at obviously a very high level. Multiple Super Bowls, multiple big games, so just being able to pick his brain about everything in the season, offseason, his schedule, how he sees the game, everything like that.”

Did you do it in these last 40 days as well with him?

“No, no, we didn’t throw together.”

After QB Brock Purdy got cleared the other day. What was the message from head coach Kyle Shanahan to you? And how did you kind of digest how this might play out over the next few months?

“No, we haven’t had any conversations. I find out right before practice or whatever, what the rep count is going to be. And like I said, I just take advantage of every rep, but super excited, obviously, for Brock that he’s able to come back and practice. It’s good to have a whole room.”

You know your weapons really well. WR Brandon Aiyuk and WR Deebo Samuel look much improved this year. What do you notice about their improvements? Where do you see them different from a year ago?

“I mean, B.A. is catching everything. He is running great routes. He’s getting to his landmarks. He’s making plays and he looks like, the B.A. that we all knew he could be these last few years and that he kind of turned into I think towards the end of the season last year. And Deebo looks great, man. I mean, he really took care of his body. I know you guys have all talked about it and heard about it. But he took care of himself this offseason, locked in and he looks really one of the best I’ve ever seen.”

When you have limited reps like you’ve had in the last couple of days, if you make a bad throw, does it stick with you more and do you kick yourself more?

“Not really. I mean, especially on the field, maybe after practice going back and watching it. But on the field, I’m very much turn the page. I’ve got to go onto the next play because once it starts to snowball and you don’t want to let it linger or anything like that, especially with, like you said, but just seem to take advantage one rep at a time.”

On Tuesday head coach Kyle Shanahan told us at any time Brock is out there on the field, it’ll be with the ones. How do you kind of read that? How do you kind of feel about where you are positioned?

“I honestly don’t. I’m not thinking about it. I’m taking it one day at a time, one rep at a time, and like I said, I’m just taking advantage of your rep and just continuing to compete.”

What’s the vibe like in the quarterback room? It seems like on the field you guys have a real strong camaraderie with each other.

“Yeah, we’re all real good friends. I mean, we’re all similar in age, pretty close. So, it’s just been really fun just to be able to work with those guys, bringing [QB] Brandon [Allen] in, [QB] Sam [Darnold] new this year. But it’s just a fun group of guys, it’s off the field, outside of football. I mean, we’re all pretty good friends, so it’s fun to hang around with those guys.”

This time last year you were declared the starter. Right now you played what, less than five quarters? Your season ended, obviously, the ankle injury was out of your control, what Brock did was out of your control, but I don’t know, how do you just kind of reconcile everything?

“I mean, yeah, like I said, I just take it one day at a time. I’m very present-mind focused. Every rep, one rep at a time, one day at a time, one meeting at a time, whatever it is. I mean, I truly believe everything works out exactly how it’s supposed to. So as long as I control what I can control that’s all I can worry about.”

Are you more comfortable and do you think you’re a better player since you’ve been here?

“Yeah, night and day. Yeah. In all the ways. The game slowed down a lot. Just continue to get better though.”

Do you do any mindfulness work or anything like that?

“Yeah, a lot of breathing, a lot of meditation, a lot of just present mind focus and journaling, things like that. Just to keep myself, you know, keeping it one day at a time. And if I do that, it’s not too hard to stay positive. I’m pretty blessed to be in this position to have this opportunity.”

I think you talked a lot in the spring about the finger and how it kind of affected things mechanically and all that. How have you reached a point of where you’re kind of just able to repeat the mechanics that you want and getting rid of whatever you had to do to kind of get by?

“Just reps. I think this offseason is probably the most I’ve ever thrown maybe in my life with no arm pain, no anything like that. So definitely just reps, as many reps as I could possibly get this offseason, throwing as many days as I could. That’s what I try to do and just try to get better, one percent every day.”

You find it that you’ve reached the point of just muscle memory? Like would you go back and watch tape of yourself throwing?

“It’s more my feet, honestly, than anything from the last couple of years. But yeah, no, I don’t find myself liking to watch the mechanics side of the last couple of years reps. I feel like I’m in a much, much better place now. For sure.”

You said no arm pain. Do you think that that is mechanics related, that your mechanics are good now that you’re not having soreness?

“I think, yeah, with the volume I’ve been able to throw, I think it’s more a mechanic thing than anything. Like I said, the past was the past of just probably throwing too much.”

Did you know about QB Sam Darnold before you became teammates and what have you learned about him since?

“We had met actually when I was coming out pre-draft before the draft because he does something with the agency tie. So, we met and been to dinner and hung out. And I know he’s good friends with [Buffalo Bills quarterback] Josh [Allen] and [Buffalo Bills quarterback] Kyle Allen as well. So, we had met down in Orange County and hung out. So, I knew he was a great dude. I had been around him a few times, so I didn’t know a whole lot, obviously, I’d seen him play and knew where he was drafted and everything like that and knew he had been put in tough situations in his career but knew he was a great person. So, I was super excited when Kyle told me that he was coming.”

Deebo talked about you having more touches and sometimes your fastballs were fast at times, but would you agree with that? And I guess what was the evolution of, okay, this requires more touch?

“I think just reps, trust, everything I did this offseason, just being more comfortable, changing my ball path a little bit. But yeah, I think coming in a lot better spot as far as just throwing and playing football and playing quarterback.”

When you’re running, like you scrambled out on one play today, is there any extra sense of appreciation for being able to do it considering an injury you’ve had to come off in rehab?

“Yeah, absolutely. I’d be lying if I said I thought I’d feel as good as I do. Going back to OTAs and especially now I thought I’d have at least a setback but thankfully, knock on wood, haven’t had anything. So yeah, definitely very thankful for that.”