49ers' Trey Lance Looks 'Significantly Better Than Last Year,' George Kittle Says

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle told reporters at organized team activities Tuesday that quarterback Trey Lance "looks significantly better than last year."

ESPN's Nick Wagoner relayed the remarks.

Team reporter Lindsey Pallares offered more details:

Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, sat behind veteran Jimmy Garoppolo during his rookie year before becoming the starting quarterback in 2022.

Unfortunately, Lance suffered a season-ending fractured fibula and ligament damage on Sept. 18 during a 27-7 win against the Seattle Seahawks. He underwent surgery the following day but had to go through another operation in December to remove "hardware that was causing irritation in the ankle," per Wagoner.

Lance is taking part in all offseason workouts as he looks to take the field again, and he's gotten some good reviews for his work.

Private quarterbacks coach Jeff Christensen worked with Lance and two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes simultaneously earlier this year and praised the 49er signal-caller's efforts to The Athletic's Matt Barrows, saying he's made "a substantial jump" during only one week of practice.

"I said, 'Watch this. Watch what he (Mahomes) does here,'" Christensen said regarding a talk he had with Lance. "It was something I was telling him to do that he wasn't quite doing. And then he saw Patrick apply it perfectly. And I think that visual buy-in, that mental buy-in, helped him past that mental hump."

Lance has completed 54.9 percent of his throws for five touchdowns, three interceptions, 797 yards and a 99.6 quarterback rating while adding 235 rushing yards and another score on 54 carries in eight games (four starts) over two seasons in San Francisco.