QB Trey Lance Press Conference

QB Trey Lance

Press Conference – June 7, 2022

San Francisco 49ers

What do you think you’ve gained most from these couple weeks here of OTAs and the practice out there today?

“Just reps, being able to be around the guys, being able to be in the locker room, around the coaches. It was big to get [QB] Brock [Purdy] in the room, new quarterback coach, new assistant quarterback coach, just being around the guys again and being around football and this situation is a lot different than training other places or throwing routes on air to other guys.”

What has it been like working with quarterbacks coach Brian Griese as someone who’s been through it and has gone through all this?

“It’s been awesome. You said it. The way that he’s been through it has not only helped me as a football player, but also helped me off the field with talking to you guys, everything like that. From top to bottom, he’s been awesome. He’s been an awesome role model for me. For him to come into the situation that he did, now me coming into this situation, he’s got tons of experience, not only with football, but like I said, with just being in the situation and just being a quarterback in the NFL.”

He said one of his first meetings with you guys was he sat all the quarterbacks down and he asked what’s your why? Because that’s so important. What was your why and what did you get out of that meeting?

“We went through, I don’t want to get into too much detail with all the guys, but it’s still on the board in the quarterback room right now. We kind of put a group together, a list together of why we do what we do. Building relationships, everything from building relationships to winning, competing. We love the game. But we talked about a lot of stuff and it was good. I thought it was the best way to start that situation with him coming in. Just because, I didn’t know anything about him, I didn’t know why he took the job. I knew who he was and I knew what he had been doing for the last 10 years. But just from a personal standpoint, I didn’t know anything about him. I didn’t know where he lived, I didn’t know anything other than him as a football player and as a Monday Night Football announcer.”

How hands on is assistant quarterbacks coach Klay Kubiak as a coach? What’s your impression of him?

“Klay’s awesome and I got to be with Klay a lot, he helped run the scout team last year. So I spent a lot of time with Klay, me and [QB] Nate [Sudfeld], both. And he’s been awesome. From a knowledge perspective, him and Brian both, we see the game the same, which helps me out a ton. But Klay and Brian are both super hands on. And I wouldn’t say it’s like even a one, two dynamic at all in our room. They both help me out a ton, help Nate out a ton, help Brock out a ton.”

What’s your relationship like with C Jake Brendel and how much did whatever time you guys spent last year carry over into now? And how would you describe the responsibilities you guys share in terms of calling out protections pre-snap and things like that?

“Yeah, Jake handles it honestly for the most part. That’s kind of how our offense works. There’s things that we can do from a quarterback standpoint, but for the most part, the center is making the calls every play. Past that, I got to spend a lot of time with Jake. Obviously, I took all my reps pretty much with Jake and [QB] Jimmy [Garoppolo] was with [C] Alex [Mack] last year. Obviously sad, I wanted to play with Alex for sure, but I’m super excited for Jake. Jake’s three lockers down from me. We’re together, one of the first two guys in every morning, Jake is and I know he’s one of the last guys to leave, so he works super hard and his athletic ability is one thing I think that stands out about him.”

What kind of interaction have you had with Deebo either yesterday or today and what kind of vibe do you get off of him coming back?

“Yeah, Deebo’s a guy we love to have in the locker room. It’s good to have him, [T] Trent [Williams], [DL Nick] Bosa, all those guys back. But I talk to Deebo a ton, even when he’s not here, so it’s obviously good to have him back. Just his vibe on the field, his energy. I don’t think he’s going to practice this week, but just having him around, having him around the receiver room. A lot of guys haven’t met him, the rookies especially, the new guys in the receiver room, [WR] Ray-Ray [McCloud] and [WR] Malik [Turner] and [WR] KeeSean [Johnson], all those guys have never spent any time around him, so I think it’s awesome for those guys just to be able to get together, get to know each other, spend some time together on and off the field. But him, Trent and Bosa, when they’re in the building, it’s a little bit different.”

Are no reps with him, for you, detrimental in any way this time of year?

“No, I don’t think so. It would be great to have him out there, but I understand the situation and we’ll get to spend a ton of time together this offseason in July and the end of June. So it’s not something I’m worried about at all and training camp is nothing but reps.”

What quarterback coaches did you work out with on your own this offseason and what little things did you work on?

“I worked with the 3DQB guys, Taylor Kelly, Adam Dedeaux and John Beck and then Quincy Avery and Sean McEvoy down in Atlanta. So I kind of split between those two, spent most of my time in SoCal this past offseason. But man, just cleaning stuff up, using my lower half. It’s kind of real similar, but I know everyone talks about the throwing motion and your slowmo videos and all that, but it wasn’t as much as you guys think. I know everyone has their opinion on it, but for me, it’s about getting the ball out, accuracy. Like I said, it’s a lot different working down there or working away from the building because you’re working primarily as a thrower, not necessarily as a quarterback. So there’s little things that you change when you get back here just from a timing standpoint, from an eye standpoint, little things like that, but no major changes for me.”

Was the tightness of your spiral, how you spin the ball, something you guys talk about or are you good with that?

“It’s great when it spins. For me, like I changed my grip a little bit, obviously, like I said, coming off the finger last time I talked to you guys. So it’s just getting back to reps. Sitting there, spinning the football to myself, but no, it’s not like– if I’m throwing to a good spot, I’m throwing to a good spot. I know the receivers would love to catch it and I love when it comes out great, but it’s football.”

Do you want to shorten it over time? Is that a goal of yours to get it quicker?

“Not necessarily, I wouldn’t say. I don’t feel like it slows me down when I get the ball, everyone throws different. And I know everyone talks about, ‘ah, man, it gets below.’ I don’t want to get into the details of it too much, but for me, no, it’s not really something that I worry about as long as I’m playing on time.”

Are you noticing that being a year into it, you’re more prone to make anticipatory throws? And was that one-handed catch that TE Tanner Hudson made over the middle today, did that take a little bit of anticipation from your standpoint given it didn’t seem like, from at least my angle, that he appeared open?

“Yeah, I think it’s just knowing the offense and knowing where guys are going to be and having spent all of last year with Tanner, for example. Last year on scout team, I got to throw to Tanner a ton, so you kind of get used to throwing to guys, get used to throwing to spots, how guys run routes against different coverages, different looks. So I think that’s probably more of it than just in general trying to anticipate those. Like it’s just feeling guys.”

Last week, Pro Football Hall of Fame QB Steve Young said that he had 100-percent confidence that you see the picture, your processing ability. I’m wondering, have you and Steve Young spent a lot of time talking about that this offseason?

“We got to talk a decent amount, yeah. Obviously with a guy like that, it means the world anytime he says anything about me. I have nothing but respect for a guy like that, everything that he’s done and him having been in this building and played for this organization, I’m going to take everything I possibly can from a guy like that. Anything he has to say, anything he has to offer me I’m welcoming that with open arms.”

How did you guys get together? Did you reach out to him? Did he reach out to you?

“No, kind of mutual people, through [Pro Football Hall of Fame WR] Jerry [Rice] was one of the situations where we’ve talked a good amount, but through the team, team events and different things like that. And then getting in contact, having each other’s phone numbers also.”

Is there any one thing in particular that stood out that he’s told you or shared with you so far?

“He’s talked about just being myself and confidence, I think were the two main things.”

There’s a lot of parallels between where you are in your second season and where Brian Griese was as far as expectations and pressure and everything. He had said, as you mentioned media tips, that he felt he was too guarded. And you seem maybe just a bit natural as a rookie, maybe a little more guarded or unsure, but you seem more yourself this year, at least in these settings. Is that fair to say?

“Yeah I think, like I said last time, I was in a little bit of a weird spot last year. You guys wanted to talk to me and I didn’t really have anything to talk about. I wasn’t necessarily playing, so I was in a weird spot I felt like last year, but that’s how it goes. And that was the situation I was in. I tried to embrace my role and make the most out of it. But yeah, me and Brian are definitely different personality-wise, but I think it works perfect in the quarterback room.”