Trey Lance will start at quarterback for the 49ers when they begin preseason action on Sunday against the Raiders, coach Kyle Shanahan told KNBR-AM on Friday night.
Lance will start Sunday’s game and backup Sam Darnold will play in the second half. Brock Purdy, who emerged as the franchise’s starter late last season, will not play in the team’s preseason opener, according to Shanahan.
Sunday marks the first opportunity for Lance to showcase his growth from his limited action in the 2022 campaign. The former No. 3 pick in the ’21 draft has started four games in two seasons.
In 2022, Lance broke his ankle in the first quarter of San Francisco’s Week 2 matchup vs. the Rams and missed the rest of the season. In his rookie year, he broke his right index finger.
In May, the 23-year-old was seen completing a series of workouts with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Dallas to improve his throwing motion. Throughout training camp, Lance—who has been splitting second team reps with Darnold—has explicitly stated that he is taking advantage of every opportunity to get better at the position.
Aside from Lance and Darnold, veteran quarterback Brandon Allen could potentially play in Sunday’s game.
