3 things Trey Lance must do to make 49ers starting QB job his own

Trey Lance started the first game of his career in Week 5 of the 2021 NFL season. Jimmy Garoppolo was named the starter to begin the year, but he suffered another injury and was removed for the second half of the San Francisco 49ers game in Week 4 against the Seattle Seahawks. That resulted in Trey Lance getting the start against the Arizona Cardinals this week.

He struggled to throw the ball in the loss to the Cardinals but did find success in the rushing game. Lance is a far superior athlete to Garoppolo with his legs being one of his biggest weapons. He will need to be better in the passing game if he wants to keep the starting job when Garoppolo is healthy.

3 Ways Trey Lance can earn the starting QB job for the 49ers

#1 Passing Efficiency

Lance has only completed 52 percent of his 48 pass attempts this season. That is significantly lower than Garoppolo, who has completed 66 percent of his 118 pass attempts. Lance also threw an ugly interception in the first quarter against the Cardinals.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan is a genius when it comes to designing offensive drives. The scheme is extremely quarterback friendly, so Trey Lance just has to execute what is drawn up. The worst thing Lance can do for himself is to be inefficient. If he takes care of the ball, it will greatly help his chances at keeping the job.

#2 Play to Strengths

What makes Trey Lance one of the highest-rated rookie quarterback prospects is his elite athleticism. He is dangerous in rushing attacks, so he needs to continue to use that to his advantage. It's his true edge over Garoppolo and what makes him unique. Even as a backup quarterback, Shanahan designed running plays specifically for Lance. He should continue to utilize this as much as possible.

The skillset that Trey Lance offers allows for Shanahan to be even more creative than he already is when drawing up offensive plays. It adds a brand new element to their already dynamic offense. This potential weapon is the main reason why the 49ers traded up to draft Lance.

#3 Win Games!

The simplest way for Trey Lance to keep his job as the starting quarterback is to just find a way to win games. It's obviously much easier said than done, but if Lance is helping the 49ers win, it will be very difficult to justifiably bench him when Garoppolo returns. Winning is always the solution.