3 Potential Trade Destinations for Trey Lance

The San Francisco 49ers are reportedly shopping former third overall pick Trey Lance around the league.

In 2021, after trading away three first round picks and one third rounder, the Niners climbed the draft board all the way up to number three to get their quarterback of the future. Since then, Lance has played in just eight games, starting just four. He’s accounted for six total touchdowns and three interceptions.

Now, even with seventh-rounder Brock Purdy unsure if he’ll play this season, the 49ers still may want to move off of Lance while his trade value is reasonable. Here are three potential trade destinations for Trey Lance.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans already have a young, mobile and questionably productive quarterback on the roster in Malik Willis, who was drafted in 2022. But with Ryan Tannehill ageing out of the starting position sooner than later, it might behoove them to get some competition in the room for Willis.

Being that Lance is still mostly an unknown, it could pay dividends to get him on the roster with another player who has a similar skillset. If he stays on the field, then the Titans could possibly hit that third-overall pick ceiling. But if he’s injured, the entire offense doesn’t have to shift as Willis could run the same version.

It seems a bit redundant, but the Titans are sort of in-between competing and rebuilding at the moment. Trading for Lance and crossing their fingers hard could help them figure out what direction in which they should travel on that front. As long as it doesn’t cost them too much, Tennessee makes some logical sense here.

Minnesota Vikings

Some would argue that quarterback play is the only reason the Vikings haven’t made a deep playoff run in the last few seasons. That and some defensive shortcomings, of course. But Lance could help remedy that if he reaches his ceiling.

Kirk Cousins has but up some very respectable regular season numbers for the team, but shrinks in big games and hasn’t duplicated his success in the playoffs. Plus, there is a decent chance he’ll be cut after this season. Grabbing Lance could help with that situation both now and next year.

He brings a kind of skill that Cousins just doesn’t possess, even if he is injury prone and unpolished. The offense could come to life in a faux-two quarterback system under former Rams OC, Kevin O’Connell. Then, with enough reps and a healthy body, the Vikings could keep on trucking without worrying about finding a new quarterback in the draft or free agency, since Lance will already know the system.

Houston Texans

There are rumors bubbling up in which the Texans may not want to take a quarterback with their second-overall pick. Something to do with not wanting to pick C.J. Stroud due to his agent being the same one that helped Deshaun Watson leave town.

It’s an interesting proposition, trading for Lance instead of taking a complete unknown in this draft. Obviously, there is no possible way the 49ers deserve the Texans’ number two pick for him, but if they could meet the asking price with a few mid-to-late round picks, then it opens up some options for the team.

Houston could grab Lance, and trade down immediately, helping them fill the massive holes on their roster. Then, if Lance is still injured or just isn’t the guy, then they’ll still be drafting decently high in the next coming years and they could grab a quarterback they like better. It’s a four-dimensional chess move, but it could really help this team get better quickly, for a few reasons.

Stay tuned for more breaking NFL content, including offseason moves, contract updates and more news from every team.

Featured image courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports

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