Steve Young Calls 49ers QB Trey Lance 'Awesomely Raw'

When discussing 49ers quarterback Trey Lance, Hall of Famer Steve Young found himself stuck in the middle of a compliment and a critique, causing him to describe Lance in a...unique way.

"He's awesomely raw," Young said of Lance during a recent appearance at the Dwight Clark Legacy Series.

Lance, 22, is expected to replace Jimmy Garoppolo as the 49ers starting quarterback. As a rookie in 2021 he played in just six games with two starts, throwing five touchdowns and two interceptions. His accuracy was a concern. The third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Lance completed less than 58% of his throws.

Young believes that's a fixable issue.

"Trey as a young player actually is processing as well as anybody. He can understand what's happening, and he can get to the opening," Young said, as reported by NBC Sports Bay Area. "He can figure out who it is. And that's a real talent. It's not easy, and that's just not given -- there's a real skill there. I have 100 percent confidence that Trey will figure out where to throw it."

He continued: "The challenge for Trey is once he knows, then how to deliver it, and that's another great talent that you have to have and develop."

Young, who won three Super Bowls with San Francisco, is of the opinion that Lance's accuracy can be corrected with repetition. "More than anything, it's just him delivering the ball to that open guy over and over and over again and gaining that confidence because that's the spot he needs to work on. His is more of a throwing thing than a mind thing."

Seemingly speaking for the 49ers organization, Young added: "We're all invested, and we're in for the long haul."

San Francisco has a mandatory minicamp this week, running from Tuesday through Thursday afternoon.

 

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