Thursday, August 12, 2021. 6:34 PM
SAN FRANCISCO – Head coach Kyle Shanahan knows full well that Trey Lance’s performance in a pre-season first game with the San Francisco 49ers won’t matter for the rest of his career, but that doesn’t stop him from going on. be excited to attend this moment.
Shanahan can’t wait to see his rookie quarterback take the field for the first time in the NFL on Saturday night when the Kansas City Chiefs visit.
“It’s fun to see the quarterbacks debut,” he said on Thursday. But I’m not the type to be anxious for them, it’s just fun to watch. I know no one is going to remember their first preseason game except the next day. It’s correct. “
“I know rookies have butterflies in their stomachs. It’s a great time for them, but in reality it is just an experience for them. I think Trey is going to be part of the team, so he doesn’t have to panic about it, but he knows a lot of people are going to watch him, ”Shanahan added.
Many eyes have been on him since the 49ers drafted him last April after trading three first-round picks for the third pick in the auction.
Since then, the organization has tried to offer him a smooth integration behind starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Except that the rookie has impressed since the start of his first professional camp.
There are still things he has not yet had the chance to experience, the reality of a real game of the NFL. He will have to learn how to handle play calls from the sidelines through the deafening noise of a packed stadium or how to make the right decision between sliding, diving head first, going out into touch or taking a tackle when the going gets tough.
In practice, Shanahan wants Lance to stay on his feet to avoid injury when he gets caught up in the pressure, but he quickly questions him about his decision if he had been in a match situation. So far, the head coach says he has been satisfied with the responses. He will now be able to see it all on the ground.
“Trey says the right things, he runs well, he’s competitive. I hope he takes my word for it because sometimes kids don’t understand how hard it hits in the NFL until you’ve conceded a few tackles. “Shanahan said.
Preseason games could be even more important to Lance due to his lack of college experience. He only started 17 games in the NCAA with North Dakota State University, including only one in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
His last experience with fans in a stadium was 19 months against James Madison University in the FCS Division Championship game in 2019.
A long wait that only fuels his excitement to return to the field.
“I’m excited to play and compete with all the guys in this locker room,” he commented. Everything is new, so I’m just trying to familiarize myself with it all, from the night at the hotel the day before the game to the pre-game warm-up. Everything will be new, but at the same time football is football. “
The 49ers are very happy with what they’ve seen from Lance so far, which seems to cheer them up in their decision to believe in him in the draft.
He paid tribute to the power of his arm and to the athletic abilities that recruiters had been able to observe on video. Beyond his physical qualities, he also demonstrated an astonishing maturity for an athlete who was barely 21 years old last May.
“The first time we spoke to him we wanted to buy him a beer, then I realized he was a minor so we didn’t,” Shanahan said. You forget his age. He’s mature. He doesn’t look like a 21-year-old, except maybe his face, but he’s definitely wiser than I was when I was 21. “
