Many called the Russell Wilson trade the worst trade in NFL history. Well, the San Francisco 49ers may now hold that honor with the failed Trey Lance era. The San Francisco 49ers, back in 2021, traded a whopping three first-round picks to move up to the third overall pick. And it's well documented that they had wanted Trey Lance.
The rumor that they were considering taking Mac Jones was unsubstantiated. Now, to be fair, Mac Jones would have been a great fit in San Fran, but that's not important anymore. The Niners selected Trey Lance with that pick, and the idea was that Kyle Shanahan would get elite production out of an elite athlete/prospect at the position. Shanahan for years constantly made it work with average quarterbacks.
He never really had a truly elite player both with arm strength and running ability to use in his offense. Trey Lance was supposed to be that player. And whatever the reason may be, the Lance era in San Fran simply did not work out. They went forward with Lance as their QB1 for the 2022 NFL season, but a broken ankle ended that campaign.
And with Jimmy Garoppolo still on the roster in 2022, he came into the lineup and played very well. When Garoppolo went down, they turned to Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy, who has since solidified their QB situation. What's interesting is that lesser talents/athletes at the QB position seem to flourish in Shanahan's offenses.
Trade: 49ers are sending their former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a mid-round, per sources. Lance now gets a fresh start in Dallas. pic.twitter.com/UxKNpljktv
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 25, 2023
I think that's something that they've accepted as their fate. With Purdy as the QB1 and Sam Darnold winning the QB2 battle this year over Lance, the 49ers decided enough was enough. They traded Lance for a fourth-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys last week. If you think about it, the Denver Broncos may no longer have the worst QB trade in NFL history.
That now belongs to the San Francisco 49ers and Trey Lance. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch clearly made a huge mistake when they traded Lance, and the fourth-round pick that they got back in return is clear evidence of that. After the 2022 NFL season, many were quick to claim that the Russell Wilson trade was the worst in NFL history.
Well, that is no longer the case. Not only will Russell Wilson bounce back in a big way in 2023, but many will then be saying that the Russell Wilson trade was one of the best in NFL history. Just ask yourselves this for a second; Do you really think a future Hall of Fame coach in Sean Payton would take this job if he thought Russell Wilson was washed up?
Payton's career as a head coach is very impressive, and I think even if he had a small thought in his brain that Wilson was over the hump, he'd have not taken the job.