Lance to play extensively in preseason opener

Trey Lance’s NFL debut won’t be merely a cameo.

On Thursday, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan outlined the playing-time plan for his top two quarterbacks for Saturday’s preseason opener against Kansas City at Levi’s Stadium: Jimmy Garoppolo will play the first series and Lance, the rookie No. 3 pick, will finish out the first half.

Shanahan didn’t rule out the chance that Lance could play into the third quarter if he doesn’t play 30 snaps before halftime.

For Lance, the exhibition opener will be just his second game since he led North Dakota State to the FCS national championship with a 28-20 win over James Madison on Jan. 11, 2020.

“I’m excited to go out and compete with this locker room of guys,” Lance said Wednesday.

“And kind of at the same time, everything’s new. … So just being able to get used to everything — everything from the hotel the night before the game to pregame warm-up. Everything’s going to be new, but at the same time, football is football. So I feel I can do everything and feel as prepared as I can on Saturday.”

Saturday’s game will be the next step in the development of Lance, who turned 21 on May 9.

“The first time we talked to him, we were going to offer him a beer,” Shanahan said. “Then I realized I would be supplying a minor, so I definitely didn’t. So you forget about (his age). He’s mature. He doesn’t look like a 21-yearold; maybe in his face.”

Hurd sighting: Wide receiver Jalen Hurd, who has been limited throughout training camp as he returns from a torn ACL, had easily his most productive practice. Hurd had three receptions in team drills, triple his previous camp total. Two of his receptions were from Lance and netted consecutive first downs during a two-minute drill.

“I was impressed,” Shanahan said. “He got some balls. He made some plays.”

The two-minute-drill period was the most compelling part of practice. Both Garoppolo and Lance began drives 60 yards away from the end zone with 1 minute, 20 seconds on the clock.

Garoppolo completed 7 of 9 passes on his drive, with one incompletion coming on a spike to stop the clock. He capped the march with a short touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk with a few seconds remaining. Lance completed 4 of 8 passes and finished the drive with a 24yard TD throw to tight end Ross Dwelley on 4th-and-6 with about 15 seconds left.

Injury report: Defensive end Dee Ford and Hurd are among a host of players who won’t play Saturday, Shanahan said. The group also will include defensive end Nick Bosa (knee), who has yet to participate in a full training-camp practice.

On Thursday, cornerback K’Waun Williams (hip) and defensive end Arden Key

(quadriceps) didn’t practice because of minor injuries. Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw

(knee), who has had his workload managed throughout camp, also was sidelined.

Transactions: The 49ers announced the signing of safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes, 26, a 2017 thirdround pick of the Raiders. Vanderdoes joins three other defensive linemen — Key, Maurice Hurst and Shilique Calhoun — as Raiders’ draft picks the 49ers have added since April.

To make room on the roster, the 49ers placed safety Tony Jefferson (groin, hamstring) on injured reserve and waived defensive lineman Davin Bellamy, who was signed last Friday.