SANTA CLARA, Calif.
“You get to where you have always been trying to get to and it’s the first time in your career you have to sit and watch,” Palmer said.
Entering the 2021 season, the 49ers are one of three teams that will have to decide when to play their prized rookie signal caller.
But Shanahan has acknowledged that, unlike Palmer, Lance is going to play this year, at least situationally.
“When you have quarterbacks with different skillsets, it kind of makes it easier for me to look at it similar to other positions.
As other highly drafted quarterbacks such as Palmer, Derek Carr and Steve Young can attest, Lance’s top priority should be making sure he’s doing all he can to ensure he’s ready when his time comes.
Generally, teams drafting that high don’t have the time or options to be patient.
It’s why 15 of the past 16 quarterbacks selected in the top three have started at least 10 games as a rookie.
36 pick in the 2014 draft, Carr started all 16 games as a rookie for the then Oakland Raiders.
But what you can control is the preparation that you bring and how you can be productive.
Long before he became a Hall of Fame quarterback with the 49ers; Young was a runner-up for the 1983 Heisman and was expected to be the No.
After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Young with the first pick in a supplemental USFL and CFL draft in 1985, Young finally landed in the NFL.
He’s a guy who can move around, the game is coming to him.
There’s still plenty for Lance to prove, though Young is quick to point out that Shanahan and general manager John Lynch made their intentions quite clear by making the move up to No.
“He just hasn’t been out there very much,” Young said.
Through the first few weeks of camp, Lance has earned rave reviews from teammates and coaches for his performance on the field but also his willingness to work.
Of course, that should be expected for a rookie quarterback.
“I feel a lot better,” Lance said.
From the moment the Niners drafted Lance, it was always going to be a matter of when, not if he was going to become the team’s starting quarterback.