Kyle Shanahan had to stop himself the first time he met Trey Lance. The then 20-year-old, mature beyond his years, made the 49ers head coach he wasn’t yet legal drinking age. The head coach relayed the funny story Thursday ahead of the team’s preseason opener.
Shanahan, an offensive coordinator in the NFL since 2008, hasn’t worked with a ton of quarterbacks as young as this year’s No. 3 overall pick. The change from the veteran-heavy quarterback rooms he’s worked with since joining the Falcons coaching staff in 2016 led him to forget Lance was below the legal age to have alcohol.
“I think (former Browns QB) Johnny (Manziel) was 21 when I was in Cleveland,” Shanahan said, remembering a young QB he’s worked with. “But yeah, I do. The first time we talked to him, we were going to offer him a beer and then I realized that would be supplying a minor. So, we definitely didn’t. So, you forget about it. He’s mature. He doesn’t look like a 21-year old, maybe in his face, but no. He definitely acts a lot more wise than that or at least more than I was when I was 21.”
That’s a good offseason headline to avoid!
While the anecdote is meant to be funny, it’s a reminder of where Lance is in his NFL career. He’s not only a rookie, but a young one at that. He was 20 when he was drafted, and didn’t turn 21 until more than a week after he was selected. Having that level of maturity as he enters a crucial phase of his development where he may have to it on the bench and will have a ton to take in. Handling himself early in his career like a seasoned veteran will bode well for Lance down the line.
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