Birth of something special at QB

Lance becoming more than just a challenger in debut training camp

- Craig Massei

There Trey Lance was, a full week into 49ers training camp in early August, looking like the ultimate rookie quarterback as he walked off the practice field along Forty Niner Way and trudged toward the locker room at the team’s Santa Clara training complex.

The young wunderkind carried in his hands not a football, but instead two helmets dangling from his fingers on each side, along with multiple sets of shoulder pads. The gear didn’t belong to Lance, of course. It was the battle armor of some of his veteran teammates.

Just a typical rookie ritual over the years in training camps throughout the NFL.

“Just another day in the life,” Lance said as he smiled and went on his way after another sizzling practice performance during which the 21-year-old gunslinger looked far beyond his years.

The way Lance has been tearing it up through the first two weeks of training camp this summer gives the explicit and growing impression he’ll soon be carrying the entire team instead of just the equipment of a few veterans destined to become soldiers in the battles Lance will almost certainly soon by leading.

The rookie is putting on a show, and everybody is watching.

With his missile throws, smooth mechanics, keen football intelligence, athletic mobility and zone-read bursts into the open field, Lance is fulfilling his early promise and becoming everything the 49ers fantasized he would be when they traded the farm to move up in the 2021 NFL draft to select Lance with the No. 3 overall pick in April.