Should the Indianapolis Colts trade for Trey Lance?
The Indianapolis Colts need a young quarterback to build around. Maybe acquiring someone like Trey Lance would prove to be a smart decision by the franchise.
Lance was selected by the San Francisco 49ers third overall in 2021 after the team traded three first-round picks to move up in the draft.
As a rookie in San Francisco, Lance played in only six games and started two, serving as a backup to starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Then, he became the starter, heading into this year before suffering a season-ending ankle injury during the second game.
Trey Lance just went down with an injury. Jimmy G is in the game for the 49ers.
Prayers up for Trey 🙏 https://t.co/lw6gqyGTvT
That means Lance has only played eight games in his first two years. Since the league hasn’t seen much of him, it’s difficult to predict whether he’s a future star or just another first-round NFL Draft bust.
Would the 49ers actually part ways with Lance?
The Niners mortgaged their future by trading up to draft Lance. With that said, one would think that they wouldn’t give up on the young quarterback just yet, especially with only a few regular-season games under his belt.
However, if rookie Brock Purdy continues to look like the next Tom Brady and manages to lead San Francisco to a deep playoff run, he could very well be the starter for the 2023 campaign. And it’s not out of the question that Garoppolo is brought back to be the backup.
#49ers Brock Purdy executed the Hollywood play design to perfection 😮💨 https://t.co/6qJroUvHbZ
If that happens, Lance will become expendable. It would be pointless to have three starting-caliber quarterbacks on the same roster, meaning the Niners could decide to trade Lance to a QB-needy team like the Colts.
Lance could become a star in Indy
The Colts employed one of the league’s top quarterbacks in Andrew Luck before he retired abruptly right before the 2019 season. Since then, the team has plugged in veterans like Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz and now Matt Ryan, who has struggled mightily this year.
Most fans will surely want the team to take a quarterback like Will Levis or Anthony Richardson early in the 2023 draft. But the Colts have a track record of either trading for or signing aging QBs as free agents. If they decide to go that route once again, trading for the 22-year-old Lance makes sense, seeing that he can stick around for years to come unlike the 37-year-old Ryan.
It’s possible Lance could eventually blossom into a star for the Colts, especially if the team hires a head coach like current New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. He’s done an exceptional job this season, helping Daniel Jones have the best year of his career.
The Colts will have a new quarterback in 2023. Don’t be surprised if Trey Lance ends up being that guy.