Updated: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Trey Lance’s ankle injury is serious and he’s is more than likely out for the remainder of the season. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed this after the game, noting that Lance will undergo surgery on a broken ankle Monday and is out for the duration.
Making just his fourth career NFL start, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance exited early during Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. It happened on a called run play in the first quarter with Lance being on the receiving end of a violent hit from Seahawks defenders Bryan Mone and Cody Barton.
Lance’s leg seemed to extend into an awkward direction following the hit, leading to the second-year quarterback finding himself on the turf inside Levi’s Stadium before he was ultimately carted off the field.
As you can see, a 49ers teammate attempted to help Trey Lance up before the young quarterback fell back to the turf. Ultimately, Lance had an air cast on his right leg as he was carted off the field. Knowing the potential severity of the injury, Seahawks players were seen crowded with Lance’s teammates in the middle of the field.
Jimmy Garoppolo replaces injured Trey Lance for the San Francisco 49ers
The subject of trade rumors throughout the offsason, Jimmy Garoppolo returned to the 49ers on a restuctured contract to back Lance up. The Super Bowl quarterback ended up replacing Lance under center, completing his first pass en route to leading San Francisco to its second field goal of the game and a 6-0 lead.
The fact that San Francisco was able to retain Garoppolo could loom large moving forward. The 49ers’ other quarterback currently on the 53-man roster is rookie seventh-round pick Brock Purdy.
- Trey Lance stats (2021-22): 55% completion, 767 passing yards, 222 rushing yards, 6 total TD, 3 INT
A lot was made of Lance’s performance in San Francisco’s ugly Week 1 loss to the Chicago Bears. He now exited less than a quarter into his second start of the season.
The 49ers ruled Lance out for the remainder of the game almost immediately after the injury happened. He’s now likely lost for the remainder of the season. In Lance’s stead, Garoppolo was able to lead San Francisco to a blowout win over Seattle. He’ll now take over for the final 15 games of the campaign.