Shanahan shares how Lance trade impacted 49ers' locker room
Shanahan shares how Lance trade impacted 49ers' locker room originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The 49ers trade of Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys was one of the biggest stories on Friday night, but Kyle Shanahan shared that the locker room remained focused.
“I think it was fine,” Shanahan said Saturday via conference call. “Guys saw [the news] earlier in the day. We kicked off at seven, so I’m in the locker room way before a bunch of players are, so I got to talk to a bunch of guys individually.”
Shanahan detailed how he and general manager John Lynch were able to personally speak to Lance about the trade. After the conversation, the quarterback talked to several players at the facility.
“I think he saw Deebo [Samuel] in the parking lot right when he went out, maybe [Brandon] Aiyuk,” Shanahan said. “So all those guys got to touch base with him a little bit."
The head coach added that once the team went out onto the field for their final preseason contest with the Los Angeles Chargers, the players' focus was on the game alone. The chatter about the No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft being sent to their NFC rival for a fourth-round pick was not happening among the players.
Shanahan did mention Lance and the trade to his players after the game, but only in order to prepare them for the inevitable questions that were coming their way once the locker room was opened to the media.
“It wasn’t that big of a deal in terms of when I spoke to them after the game,” Shanahan said. “I just wanted to give them a heads up on how big of a deal it is for [the media] and outside of the locker room. Their minds are on the game, and they are going to get asked more stuff about that.”
With the quarterback depth chart set, for now, the club will start preparations for their Week 1 opener in Pittsburgh facing the Steelers.
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