National Football League

Is new 49ers QB coach Brian Griese the man to develop Trey Lance?

Published Mar. 6, 2022 2:50 p.m. ET

Brian Griese is transitioning from the announcer's booth to the coaching booth.

In a startling move, the San Francisco 49ers hired the former ESPN analyst to be their newest quarterbacks coach.

Griese, is a former NFL quarterback who spent his 11-year career with Denver, Miami, Tampa Bay and Chicago. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Broncos in 1998 and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2000.

He served as a commentator and analyst for ESPN's college football coverage in 2009 and was added to its "Monday Night Football" crew in 2020.

This will be his first coaching experience at any level.

Griese replaces Rich Scangarello, who left San Fran to become the University of Kentucky's offensive coordinator.

Griese's primary task is conspicuous: Spearhead Trey Lance's development into a reliable starter.

The team's QB job appears to be all but Lance's, and after San Fran traded three first-round picks plus a 2022 third-rounder to move up and select him, many believe now is the time to elevate him into a starting role.

He received brief stints of playing time during his rookie season and even started one game amidst Jimmy Garoppolo's absence. Through six games of action, Lance threw 605 yards on a 41-for-71 clip, five TDs and two interceptions.

Lance was an extremely intriguing prospect coming out of college, with a superb arm talent, and dangerous rushing ability to boot.

But he hasn't played a full season since 2019 and sat out most of his junior season at North Dakota State due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Griese is certainly going have his work cut out for him in ushering along the greenhorn talent, but Kyle Shanahan & Co. see something in their new staff member.

Can his tutelage maximize Lance's skillet in the 49ers' system?