San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo left Sunday’s game at halftime with what was initially described as a calf injury.
Despite being listed as questionable, Garoppolo didn’t return to the field in San Francisco’s ugly 28-21 loss to the division-rival Seattle Seahawks.
Following the game, the injury-plagued quarterback said that he’d likely miss at least a couple weeks of action. That might not be the case. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated on Monday that Garoppolo suffered a calf contusion and has a chance to play next week against the undefeated Arizona Cardinals.
In the very same presser, Shanahan told the media that rookie No. 3 pick Trey Lance has a “legitimate” chance to start against Arizona.
The biggest takeaway here is that Garoppolo’s injury doesn’t seem to be of the multi-week variety. The veteran signal caller will undergo further testing on Wednesday. At that point, we’ll have a better understanding of whether he’ll be able to play against Arizona.
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San Francisco 49ers at a crossroads with Jimmy Garoppolo
San Francisco’s brass made it clear this past spring that its decision to mortgage the future and trade up to the No. 3 pick had more to do with Garoppolo’s injury issues than his on-field performance. Prior to the 2021 campaign, the former second-round selection missed 23 of a possible 48 games in three full seasons with the 49ers.
Now, this latest injury set back could open the door for Lance. The rookie completed 9-of-18 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns while adding 41 yards on the ground in the second half against Seattle.
He seemed to wake up the 49ers’ offense, albeit, against a defense that was playing more prevent as the second half drew to a close. In limited action this season (46 offensive snaps), Lance has scored four total touchdowns against zero turnovers.
Sitting at 2-2 on the season and in the midst of a two-game losing streak, the 49ers might actually want to play it close to the vest and give Lance an opportunity over what would likely still be a hobbled Jimmy Garoppolo Sunday against Arizona. Time will tell on that front.