The chatter about quarterback Trey Lance since the 49ers offseason started has shifted from an underlying negative tone to a more outwardly positive one. After weeks of reports from various media personnel about displeasure in 49ers headquarters with the 2021 No. 3 overall pick, there’s been a lot of praise for Lance coming from coaches and players.

Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk became the latest player to support the second-year signal caller.

At the 49ers’ State of the Franchise event, Aiyuk talked about how Lance is impressing him on and off the field.

“I’ve seen a whole lot from him, especially since we started this offseason program and seeing how much he’s grown,” Aiyuk said. “Just seeing him throw the football, leading the locker room, connect with guys – we have a special quarterback.”

There may not be anything more important for Lance this year than winning over the locker room and his teammates. That’s especially true of his pass catchers.

As with all the offseason chatter, none of it matters if it doesn’t translate to training camp and the regular season. Getting early praise from is a good mid-June benchmark for Lance though, and if Aiyuk is correct and Lance is special on and off the field, the 49ers could be good for a long time.