49ers' John Lynch on Trey Lance Trade Rumors: 'Most Likely Option Is That He's Here'

In the midst of reports that the San Francisco 49ers are exploring the possibility of trading third-year quarterback Trey Lance, it now sounds like he might not be going anywhere.

During a radio appearance on Thursday, 49ers general manager John Lynch was asked about Lance and said, "The most likely option is that he's here."

After Sam Darnold was named San Francisco's backup quarterback behind starter Brock Purdy, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday that the 49ers are "exploring options" with Lance. The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported that the 49ers front office has been "shopping" the 2021 No. 3 pick "for much of the offseason" but "never received a significant trade offer."

Lynch said Thursday that it was "not accurate" that San Francisco had been trying to trade Lance all offseason. While he expects the 23-year-old to be sticking around, he added that he won't overlook a trade that would be beneficial for all sides.

Lance reportedly was absent from Wednesday's practice after Darnold was named the backup, but Lynch noted that he's back at the team facility and he's expected to play in San Francisco's preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday.

After the 49ers traded two additional first-round picks to move up from No. 12 to No. 3 to select Lance, he quickly went from being the franchise's quarterback of the future to an afterthought. He has struggled to stay on the field due to injuries, appearing in just eight games in his career so far. He suffered a broken ankle in Week 2 of last season, which opened the door for Purdy to eventually usurp his position as franchise QB.

It's likely that neither the 49ers nor Lance is happy with how their partnership has played out, so it will be interesting to see if a resolution is eventually reached that satisfies both sides.