"Don't do it" - NFL analyst warns 49ers about trading Trey Lance over franchise's injury history

Last year, the San Francisco 49ers had one of the most widely-publicized quarterback carousels in recent NFL history. Trey Lance was initially named the starter over Jimmy Garoppolo, but he was injured two games in. Garoppolo lasted until Week 13, when he suffered a season-ending injury of his own.

Then Brock Purdy came onboard and memorably brought the 49ers all the way to the NFC Championship Game, where he hurt his arm and was subbed out by Josh Johnson. However, Johnson later got concussed, forcing Purdy back onto the field as San Francisco lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.

And heading into the 2023 season, the 49ers are in the middle of an impending quarterback controversy. Besides Lance and Purdy, they now also have Sam Darnold onboard, and such depth may further exacerbate the controversy, so they are now looking to resolve this problem by trading away Lance.

But Joy Taylor implored the team not to do it on SPEAK:

Don't do it. Don't. Don't do it. Don't do it. No. How did Brock Purdy get there in the first place? [injuries] How many of them? Lots of them. Lots of them. That tends to happen in San Francisco. They are the most injured team in the league. Just relax. Pause. I know. I know that it might sound enticing to get a couple picks for Trey Lance because you use a lot to get him.

She further explained that it was only by circumstance that Purdy ended up where he is now:

But let's just relax. You don't even know how Brock Purdy is going to recover from this injury. He's not even throwing it… There's way too many injuries. You went through way too much. How soon do you forget how Brock Purdy wound up in that position? I would not move on from Trey Lance.

Other San Francisco 49ers QB controversies stemming from injuries

Joe Montana and Steve Young were embroiled in one of the NFL's best QB controversies

This is not the first time injuries have caused a quarterback controversy within the San Francisco 49ers. Before the 1991 season, franchise legend Joe Montana injured his elbow, leading his longtime backup Steve Young to step in. Young then led the team to the NFC Championship Game the following year, creating a controversy that ended when Montana was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993.

Then in 2012, Alex Smith played well until he suffered a concussion in Week 10 against the then-St. Louis Rams. Colin Kaepernick stepped in and broke out as a starter, especially in the postseason. With a controversy looming, the 49ers traded Smith to the Chiefs.

Kaepernick himself would fall to a litany of injuries, causing him to lose his spot to (then reclaim it from) Blaine Gabbert. The controversy between the two ended in 2017, when both left during an offseason shakeup. The team then traded for Garoppolo, Tom Brady's reliever at the time, mid-season.

Which NFL teams are the potential suitors to land Trey Lance?

There are a number of interesting suitors for Trey Lance

Back to the present, with Garoppolo now a Las Vegas Raider, the 49ers have recently hinted towards promoting Purdy full-time, even as he is still recuperating from his injury and subsequent surgery. This may lead to them moving on from Lance, and there are already several teams who have received calls.

The Texans, Falcons, and Colts all seem to be the top suitors for Lance, as they all need a promising quarterback. There is also recent interest from the Vikings, who are looking to future-proof their situation behind Kirk Cousins.