Insider speculates on futures of 49ers' Trey Lance, Sam Darnold

NFL insider Steve Mariucci suggested Thursday that the San Francisco 49ers have free-agency signing Sam Darnold penciled in as their main backup quarterback and, thus, will play Trey Lance throughout the preseason so he can audition for would-be buyers. 

"I think if Trey Lance plays well in the preseason—because I think they know what they have in Sam Darnold—smart guy, experienced guy," Mariucci explained during a Thursday appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show," per David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone. "(Darnold) went 4-2 with the (Carolina Panthers) last year...He'd be a heck of a backup, heck of a backup. And he's a good mentor kind of guy. Doesn't rock the boat." 

Earlier this week, the 49ers listed 2022 rookie sensation Brock Purdy as their QB1, and Purdy seemingly is on track to begin the regular season in the lineup coming off elbow surgery he had in March. Meanwhile, San Francisco sources haven't hidden since the spring that head coach Kyle Shanahan is high on Darnold, and the club's current depth chart indicates the 26-year-old will compete with Lance for the primary backup job. 

As for Lance, the 2021 first-round draft pick still has attempted just 102 career regular-season passes and is coming off a campaign-ending ankle injury he suffered last September. There reportedly was no trade market for Lance's services this offseason, but he potentially could change that by impressing during upcoming exhibition games. 

"If Trey Lance can show well in the preseason, I think there were a lot of teams that liked him when he came out in the draft and had him graded as a first-round guy," Mariucci continued. "And so I think teams will say, 'Hey, look at him. He's back. He's healthy,' and would be willing to give up a nice draft pick or two to go get him because there's such a premium on having a healthy quarterback and a guy that's capable. Maybe somebody gets hurt early in the season before October's trade deadline. I think they might be able to get some draft picks back."

For a piece published Thursday morning, ESPN's Seth Walder linked Lance with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team reportedly ready to start veteran Baker Mayfield over 2021 second-round draft choice Kyle Trask. If Mayfield flops next month, Tampa Bay could call San Francisco about possibly acquiring Lance at a discount depending on how the 23-year-old plays across the 49ers' three preseason games, beginning with this Sunday's matchup at the Las Vegas Raiders.