QB Trey Lance Press Conference

QB Trey Lance

Press Conference – September 7, 2022

San Francisco 49ers

What’s it like watching Chicago and now that you get to sink your teeth into watching that defense, what do you see?

“Yeah, real sound. They all play together, play very hard. Real talented defense. Some guys, just looking at the depth chart, the names that pop up that have been playing the game at a really high level for a long time. So, real talented defense and a few young guys, especially in the secondary, who are talented players.”

You obviously prepared for them last year. Are there a lot of differences with what you expect scheme-wise?

“Yeah, a new entire coaching staff, so for sure different. Obviously watching a lot of Indy tape from last year, but yeah still same group, a lot of similar players, just as far as a talent and athleticism standpoint.”

Did you talk to S George Odum at all? Just given his background with the Colts and how he played in that defense?

“Yeah, a little bit. Obviously you don’t know exactly what to expect. We got a little sneak peak of them from a personnel standpoint in the preseason, but yeah it was fun actually watching [S George Odum] G.O. play a little bit in that defense.”

How does it feel this week heading into week one as the official starter?

“I’m excited. I mean, real similar to I guess the weeks that I did start last year from a preparation standpoint. But, it’s great to have those guys in the room, great to have [QB] Jimmy [Garoppolo] in the room to help bounce ideas off of. But yeah, it’s been awesome.”

How about just the general difference between preparing specifically for a team and a game plan versus being out here at camp for all this time? It must be a little bit refreshing, challenging, to get a chance to do that.

“Yeah, absolutely. Kind of a breath of fresh air for sure. I’m excited to gameplan for somebody, not just kind of running our training camp scripts and going against our defense. Get to kind of put plays in for certain situations and different things like that. So, it’s been an awesome experience and like you said, definitely refreshing, a breath of fresh air.”

On that same note, how nice is it to be, it’s been a while since you’ve been able to have like a season that you know you’re going to play and play for a while, what’s it like being able to get back into knowing that there’s a lot of games in front of you?

“Just getting into my routine. It’s been awesome this week and a little bit of last week just to be able to kind of nail that down for this week. It’s our first Wednesday, so it’s a big day for us, but it’s been awesome for me to just kind of nail down exactly how I want my week to look, how I want my days to look.”

Does it feel like it’s been a long time since you’ve had a full season kind of in front of you?

“For sure, yeah, like he said, definitely a breath of fresh air. Refreshing to gameplan against somebody, watch someone else’s tape and learn some new things.”

You haven’t run too much throughout camp or the preseason, that slide excluded in that one game. But I mean, is that just going to come naturally in a game? Just your career of doing that, especially at North Dakota State.

“Yeah, I think I’ve said it before, it’s more of a situational thing. You know, third-and-five, if I can move the chains, I’m going to try to move the chains. But at the same time, I don’t want to leave any big explosives out there throwing the ball when those opportunities do present themselves.”

I’ve seen you break the huddle at practice, break the team huddle before games. Is that something that you just naturally took that? Did someone say “Hey Trey, how about you do that?” And how easily does that come to you?

“I mean, it’s pretty organic of who breaks it down before games, practices and the locker room, whatever it is. It kind of just comes and is kind of an in the moment thing.”

This might be a stupid question, but have you asked any other quarterbacks about sliding or watch any tape about what they do?

“I’ve watched a ton of tape, more of just situations. You know, compression tackles versus one guy, when to find an edge versus when to get down and get out of bounds and different things like that of just running the ball as a quarterback and protecting myself for sure.”

I know Hall of Fame NFL QB Steve Young swung by practice, and you talked to him. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said that he hoped that you talked to him as much as possible. Have you been in touch with him? Has there been any back and forth with Steve?

“No, we haven’t talked at all since maybe the beginning of training camp. But I know he’s busy with his own thing and he’s not really around every single day. But I know he’s a guy that I can definitely always reach out to.”

When did you get your eyes on the game plan for the first time? And before that, were you just kind of in your mind thinking, how are we going to attack this team? What are they going to have me do? What was it like?

“We try not to get too ahead. But we’re definitely one day at a time, we’re kind of on our normal game week schedule. We don’t really get ahead and have a whole game plan last week or anything like that. So, I’m still getting it, I’ll get more as I leave here, and I’ll get more tomorrow and more on Friday and so on. So, it’s definitely a building process, but that’s just how the routine goes. So, it’s good to nail that down.”

They’re calling for rain on Sunday. I imagine for somebody who grew up in Minnesota and practiced in Fargo has dealt with a lot of bad weather. What’s the worst situation that you’ve either played in or practiced in or how comfortable are you with a sloppy game?

“Yeah, I mean the Colts game honestly was probably the most rain I had ever played in, and I didn’t play, but I’ve ever been a part of, or been to a game with that much rain. But the field held up pretty well, talking to Jimmy and most of the guys. Minnesota was a lot more snow than rain, for sure. So, I haven’t played in a ton of rain games. And obviously North Dakota State, we’re playing in the dome, but a lot of practices, definitely a lot of practices in poor, cold weather, but I don’t think it’ll be too cold, so we should be alright.”

Do you get butterflies before a game? And if you do, when do they go away? Is it the first hit, first play, what does that look like?

“I try to stay pretty calm. I’m not too up and down before games. Not necessarily butterflies, but definitely excited. I try to calm myself down, take deep breaths. But yeah, once football starts it’s just playing the game.”

What’s it like to work with an offensive line that has everything from a seasoned vet Pro Bowler to potentially a rookie on the starting line?

“Yeah, it’s been awesome. I’ve said it throughout the preseason, the way those guys have come to work every single day, especially [OL] Spencer [Burford] and all the young guys. But having [OL Aaron] Banks and getting [OL Jaylon Moore] J-MO back, all those guys have done a great job. And it’s tough for them, mixing and matching guys throughout the preseason and training camp and losing [OL] Dan [Brunskill], hopefully we get him back soon, but I mean getting [T] Mike [McGlinchey] back, those guys help each other out so much. I hear them communicating before plays, after plays, during plays sometimes. So they do a great job and [offensive line/run game coordinator Chris Foerster] C-Fo does a great job with those guys as well.”

The six team captains, no one would look at those guys and say, why was that bozo team captain? But you’re the quarterback and often times quarterbacks are team captains. Does it affect you? Does it bother you in any way?

“No. Obviously that’s a goal of mine, but I don’t think you could look at any six of those guys and be like that guy’s a bozo because those guys have all played football at a very, very high level. So yeah, situations are different. I’m excited. I voted for every single one of those guys, so I think each and every one of them deserves it. But yeah, it’s definitely a goal of mine moving forward. But those guys have all proved it. That’s what this league is all about.”