How did 49ers rookie QB Trey Lance perform in Week 1 of preseason

The San Francisco 49ers hit the field on Saturday for their first 2021 preseason game, and that meant we got to see the much anticipated debut of rookie quarterback Trey Lance. The 49ers moved up to select him No. 3 overall and there had been plenty of excitement in training camp.

Here we’ll take a look at the workload for Lance in the 49ers’ Week 1 preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs and how he performed during his reps.

Trey Lance’s Week 1 stat line

5-of-14, 128 yards, 1 TD — 29 snaps, 8 offensive drives

How did Lance perform in Week 1?

Lance went 3-and-out on his first drive after replacing Jimmy Garoppolo. He came back a drive later and made his presence felt immediately. On the first play from his own 20, Lance found Trent Sherfield at the Chiefs 43-yard line and the 49ers receiver turned upfield and scored on an 80-yard play.

Lance added a 34-yard pass later but struggled at times. He had to deal with poor pass protection (four sacks) and some drops, but he also made a couple poor decisions that he was lucky were not interception.

We did not see Lance scramble for any rushing yards, but he did use his feet to keep plays alive. It’s likely we won’t see much of Lance on the ground in the preseason. The team is still likely to send out Jimmy Garoppolo as its Week 1 starter, but Shanahan has indicated the team has plans to have a package of plays for Lance even as Garoppolo is starting. His legs will likely be a key part of it.

All in all, it was a solid debut. It was a mix of highs and lows, but the highs were certainly impressive.