49ers’ Trey Lance to start preseason opener vs. Raiders; Sam Darnold to play in second half

He may not be the permanent starter, but Trey Lance will be the 49ers‘ starting quarterback for San Francisco’s preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. 

Lance got the nod to start over fellow former first-round pick Sam Darnold, who signed with the 49ers this offseason after spending the past two seasons with the Carolina Panthers. According to head coach Kyle Shanahan, the plan is for Lance to play most of the first half and Darnold to play in the second half. Veteran Brandon Allen, the fourth quarterback on the 49ers’ roster, will also get some playing time Sunday in Las Vegas. 

Second-year quarterback Brock Purdy is currently slated as the 49ers’ starting quarterback. Purdy, who will not play against the Raiders, had a rough showing during the 49ers’ scrimmage against the Raiders on Friday. He was just 15 of 26 during 11-on-11 work that included an interception. 

Perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams shrugged off Purdy’s rocky afternoon. Purdy has been a full practice participate this summer after he underwent elbow surgery after injuring it during the 49ers’ loss to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. 

“I have faith in Brock,” Williams, said, via NBC Sports. “It’s preseason. The guy just got back from a six-month rehab. I’m definitely not putting much into a practice rep or a practice interception.”

Lance, the third overall pick in the 2021 Draft, split his four regular season starts during his first two seasons with the 49ers. He completed a little less than 55% of his passes in those games with five touchdowns and three interceptions. 

Lance played collegiately at North Dakota State. In 2019, Lance completed nearly 67% of his passes with 28 touchdowns and zero picks. 

The 49ers are coming off of back-to-back NFC title game appearances. San Francisco remains in pursuit of winning the franchise’s first title since Steve Young led the 49ers to victory over the Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. San Francisco has played in two Super Bowls since that game but fell short both times.