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Lance working with Mahomes, has made 'substantial jump'

Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images Sport / Getty

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance has been working out with Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes this offseason and has impressed his new private QB coach, Jeff Christensen.

"The last seven days, every day was a substantial jump," Christensen said, according to Michael Baca of NFL Network.

Christensen said Lance reminds him of Mahomes, and he wants the 23-year-old to study the 2022 MVP to help him round out his game.

"I said, 'Watch this. Watch what he does here,'" Christensen added. "It was something I was telling him to do that he wasn't quite doing. And then he saw Patrick apply it perfectly. And I think that visual buy-in, that mental buy-in, helped him past that mental hump."

Lance will battle with Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold in training camp for the starting QB job. The 2021 third overall pick has only started four games in his NFL career while battling injuries.

The North Dakota State product suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2. Jimmy Garoppolo then went down with a foot injury in Week 12, opening the door for Purdy to step in.

Purdy led the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game but suffered an elbow injury while being strip-sacked. His status for training camp is still in question following offseason surgery, which gives Lance a chance to win the starting job.

"He really fit right in," Christensen said. "Pat (Mahomes) really thinks the world of him. He's just a really good person, conscientious. He wants to be great. And he's one of the few kids whose actions match his words. He backs it up. He shows up every day and he wants to learn. And that's why I teach him."

Lance has 1,032 total yards with six touchdowns in eight career games.

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