Someday, San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback Trey Lance will settle by the porch and reminisce that one time Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones brutally welcomed him to the pros during a preseason game. Up against defending AFC champions Saturday night, Lance made his way to the field to take over Jimmy Garoppolo and immediately gets flatted by Jones, who must have been licking his chops at the prospect of finally getting back to see action and blow through a porous offensive line, albeit in a meaningless contest. He got his wish in this play:
Chris Jones welcomes Trey Lance to the NFL 💪 pic.twitter.com/jgRJlKXQGb
— PFF (@PFF) August 15, 2021
There's nothing to worry about for Trey Lance. This happens all the time in the NFL and in any pro sport. Rookies always have a target on their back, with veterans on the other side eager trying to test their mettle right out of the gate. Jones is no easy customer. After all, he's made the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons, during which he recorded a total of 16.5 sacks. Then again, that should not be an excuse for the 49ers' pass protection unit to be that weak up front.
Article Continues BelowThe offensive line is one of the focuses of the 49ers in the offseason after ranking 19th in 2020 in terms of offensive quarterback sacked percentage (6.4%). An investment like Lance has to be protected, especially if San Francisco has any plans of parting ways with Garoppolo down the road.