Trey Lance injury update: 49ers dealt huge blow as QB ruled of for remainder of season

In NFL circles, there is an idiom that states, “If you have two quarterbacks, you actually have none.” Tell that to the San Francisco 49ers, who have come to appreciate the importance of maintaining two capable starters. The decision to give Jimmy Garoppolo a guaranteed one-year contract in the winter rather than trade him for whatever they could get was derided, but after Trey Lance injured his ankle on Sunday, the 49ers may have salvaged their season.

The severity of Lance’s injury was unknown when the team started Jimmy Garoppolo against the Seattle Seahawks in the first quarter. Garoppolo had previously been dubbed “the world’s most expensive backup” by some of the snarkier elements of the media. Garoppolo, who had both a passing and a rushing score while throwing for 154 yards without throwing a single interception, put forth his customary effective but unspectacular performance. The Seahawks were defeated by the 49ers 27-7, giving them their first victory of the year while delivering Seattle their first defeat.

Lance aimed to assist San Francisco in winning the game in order to recover from a difficult performance in the rain against the Chicago Bears.

Lance was attempting to locate a hole to run through with 2:20 remaining in the first quarter when he was halted by Seahawks defenders. The defensive players looked to crush him after his right leg appeared to get stuck underneath him.

Although it’s unclear what exactly happened to Lance, the broadcast showed him with an air cast covering his right leg. Due to an ankle ailment, the 49ers declared him out. Reports later confirmed that Lance broke his ankle and will be out for the remainder of the NFL 2022-23 season. 

While warming up on the sideline, Jimmy Garoppolo was suddenly thrown into the action.

Last week against the Bears, Lance made his third career start, and despite the rain, he guided the 49ers to a heartbreaking defeat with 13 of 28 for 164 passing yards. He did not succeed in scoring a touchdown and had an interception.

He was selected with the third overall choice in the 2021 draft, and early this year, he replaced Garoppolo as the starting quarterback. However, the organization was unable to acquire Garoppolo through trade, so it decided to restructure his contract in order to pay him and prevent the prospect of applying the franchise tag to him for the upcoming season.

 

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