NFL: 3 reasons why Trey Lance landed in the best situation for a rookie quarterback
Rookie quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields, and Mac Jones will all be in unique situations that have their pros and cons. But of these five quarterbacks, who has the best environment to ensure that they succeed in the NFL?
Going into the NFL draft, many expected Trevor Lawrence to land in the best possible situation. Now it appears that Trey Lance has the best rookie quarterback situation going into 2021. Here is why.
Why Trey Lance landed in the best possible situation for a rookie quarterback
#1 - Having a veteran QB as mentor
In addition to having the liberty to take his time to acclimatize to the demands of the NFL, Trey Lance will also have veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as a mentor.
The San Francisco 49ers star has reportedly already reached out to Lance and has iterated his commitment to help the rookie, according to Adam Schefter.
Additionally, the expectation is that Garoppolo will start the majority of the 2021 NFL season to give Lance time to focus on learning the playbook and take over as the starting quarterback when he's ready.
#2 - A talented support cast
Trey Lance will have access to an offense that has retained the majority of the stars that played in the Super Bowl versus Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Once he becomes the starter, Lance will be throwing the ball to the likes of George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. If he struggles in the passing game, he'll have the help of the 49ers historically good running game.
#3 - Coach Kyle Shanahan's belief in him
The San Francisco 49ers shelled out a fortune to trade up to the third overall pick to pick a quarterback. While many expected the team to draft either Alabama's Mac Jones or Ohio State's Justin Fields, they shocked everyone by picking Lance.
Many believe that the 49ers reached with this pick and Lance would have been available to draft with the 12th overall pick, the 49ers' original spot in the first round.
But head coach Kyle Shanahan was seemingly unwilling to risk losing out on picking Lance, which should be a great confidence booster for the rookie quarterback.
Shanahan was the architect behind the Atlanta Falcons' unstoppable offense in 2017. The team made it all the way to the Super Bowl, where their offense scored 21 of the Falcons' 28 points in just over two and a half quarters.
Following the 2017 season, Shanahan left the Falcons to join the 49ers and created one of the most potent and creative offenses in the NFL. The young coach has a track record of building brilliant offenses that quarterbacks can thrive in.
And with Trey Lance already having Shanahan's seal of approval, it seems only a matter of time before the rookie will be given the keys to the team's offense.
Between having a mentor in Jimmy Garoppolo, access to a dynamic roster and the trust of one of the best young coaches in the NFL, Trey Lance could not have it any better.