The San Francisco 49ers quarterback room has been one of the main topics to follow this offseason.
With Brock Purdy expected to be the starter in Week 1 after recovering from suffering a torn UCL in January and Sam Darnold winning the No. 2 spot in the depth chart earlier this week, San Francisco made a splash on Friday by trading Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys.
The trade news was hours before San Francisco's preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers at Levi's Stadium. The 49ers lost 23-12 to the Chargers, ending the preseason with a 1-2 record.
Purdy played in the team's first two drives and finished 5 of 9 on 73 yards, including a five-yard rushing touchdown. When Purdy's night was over, he addressed reporters, saying that he was "thankful" to have Lance as a teammate.
"Yes. Obviously, I love Trey, everything that he's done for this organization and obviously for myself," Purdy said of Lance, via the team transcripts. "I know I've told you guys a bunch of times before, but going in last year and then him just being by my side from the get-go sideline, meetings in the locker room, wherever we are at, man, he's been a real one and helped me come into the league and welcome me with open arms and showed me the ropes to this whole thing. So can't tell you how grateful I am for him and to have him in my life and to be here with him.
"So forever grateful for Trey. Obviously, in terms of the situation, like happy for him that he's able to go into a good situation and we all feel like it's a good fit. But at the end of the day, I can't say how thankful I am to have played and been a teammate with Trey."
Darnold completed the game going 6 of 11 for 89 yards and one touchdown. Darnold discussed the QB competition against Lance after the game.
"We were doing everything that we could to earn that job," Darnold said. "I think for me, as a competitor, you're expected to want to win that job. For me, it was just going out there and playing really good football every single day. I knew that at the end of the day if I did that, I could be in a really good spot to earn that job. I wasn't in my head at all. Ever. I wasn't thinking that I have a really good chance to win this. I was just taking it one day at a time, one practice at a time, one game at a time."
Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, was selected by the 49ers after San Francisco traded three first-round picks to Miami.
After the preseason game, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that Lance expressed interest in a backup role on another team. San Francisco found a spot in Dallas that gives Lance an opportunity to potentially backup QB Dak Prescott.
With Lance getting a fresh start in Dallas, Purdy is "happy" and "excited" for Lance's next chapter in the NFL.
"I was able to go over and just tell him that I love him and like I said, how appreciative of that I am of him," Purdy said of Lance. "Everything that he's done for obviously myself and the team. So told him that I'm really happy for him and excited to see what he does with his opportunity and his career in the NFL. So, excited for him."
Lance will get a chance to return to the Bay Area in Week 5 when the Cowboys take on the 49ers.
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