SANTA CLARA, Calif. — After suffering a season-ending right ankle injury against the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance is already on the road to recovery.
A day after their 27-7 win against the Seahawks, the Niners announced that Lance had “successful surgery on his injured right ankle.” The procedure took place Monday morning at Stanford Hospital and, according to a statement from the team, repaired two injuries to Lance’s ankle: “a fibula fracture and ligament disruption.”
Soon after the operation to repair his broken ankle, Lance took to social media to offer some insight into how he is feeling.
Lance tweeted a photo of himself lying in a hospital bed with his right ankle in a cast and a smile on his face.
“I truly appreciate all of the messages and prayers. Surgery was a success and I am ready to attack this rehab process,” he wrote. “We will never understand why, but I trust that it’s all a part of His plan. I will be back better than ever. This chapter is going to make the story even greater!”
Truly appreciate all of the messages and prayers. Surgery was a success and I am ready to attack this rehab process. We will never understand why, but I trust that it’s all a part of His plan. I will be back better than ever. This chapter is going to make the story even greater! pic.twitter.com/l5hoBWsLDw
— Trey Lance (@treylance09) September 19, 2022
That rehab process will take some time, and a return this season has been ruled out, but Niners team physician Dr. Tim McAdams said in a statement that he is confident Lance will “recover completely in time for a full return in the 2023 season.”
Lance will head to injured reserve this week as veteran Jimmy Garoppolo takes over as San Francisco’s starter, with rookie Brock Purdy stepping in as the backup. San Francisco is expected to add another quarterback to either the active roster or the practice squad to provide additional depth.
The ankle injury occurred with about 2:20 to go in the first quarter on a second-down zone-read run in which Lance decided to keep the ball rather than hand off to receiver Ray-Ray McCloud. Lance burst up the middle, but Seahawks linebacker Cody Barton met him in the hole after a 2-yard gain.
Lance fell awkwardly and his right ankle appeared to fold underneath him. Lance looked like he was going to get right back up as center Jake Brendel offered a helping hand, but Lance quickly went back down. A cart came out soon after, and Lance was taken to the locker room with his right leg in an air cast after his teammates offered words of encouragement.
Most of the Niners players and coaches who spoke after the win against Seattle said they knew right away that Lance’s injury was serious.
Those who had been through similar injuries, such as defensive end Nick Bosa (who tore the ACL in his left knee in Week 2 of the 2020 season), offered Lance some perspective.
“It’s the worst part of the game,” Bosa said. “It happens instantly and there’s no going back. Once it happens, you feel like your life is over for a certain amount of time. … Then that (surgery) starts your road back. It’s not going to be easy, but he will be back, and he’ll be fine. It’s just really tough right now.”
6:20pm: The 49ers confirmed in a tweet this evening that Lance “has suffered a broken right ankle and will require season-ending surgery,” according to Shanahan.
5:51pm: It seems the 49ers will have to face the worst-case scenario of today’s injury as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Lance’s ankle injury “is expected to require surgery that likely will end his season.”
San Francisco is fortunate, in the short term, that they held on to Garoppolo who will likely step in to quarterback the 49ers for the remainder of the season. There were whispers around the league that a trade could still be in the books as teams like the Cowboys saw significant blows to the quarterback position.
In the long-term, San Francisco has to have some concerns about the development of its young investment at quarterback. It’s certainly not Lance’s fault, but, if the rumor of his season ending are true, Lance will have gone three years in the NFL without playing any significant, consistent time at quarterback. In a sport that requires constant practice and refinement of skill, this is a disastrous start to what should be a promising career for Lance.
3:36pm: Today marked a significant point in Trey Lance‘s young NFL career. Instead of a bounce-back performance, however, it has resulted in the 49ers quarterback being carted off the field with a leg injury, as the team confirmed.
Lance will be out for the remainder of the game, per a club announcement. He had an air cast on his right leg before being taken of the field to the locker room. As a result of the injury, Jimmy Garoppolo has taken over behind center for San Francisco.
Lance spent the entire offseason knowing he would take over as the 49ers’ franchise signal-caller. The team traded up to select him third overall in the 2021 draft, so it came as little surprise that they turned their attention to the 22-year-old. Expectations were understandably high, but his limited action in college and as a rookie backing up Garoppolo led to plenty of question marks entering the campaign.
The North Dakota State product did little to quell doubts about his ability to operate as a high-end starter last week. In an upset loss to the Bears, Lance completed just 13-of-28 passes for 164 yards and an interception, adding 54 yards on 13 rushing attempts. Conditions played a major part in each teams’ offensive struggles, of course, but much was thought to be riding on Lance’s performance today against the Seahawks.
It was reported earlier this week that head coach Kyle Shanahan could turn to Garoppolo as early as the team’s next game against the Broncos in the event Lance struggled. Now, he has done so out of sheer necessity. Garoppolo was the source of trade speculation all summer long, but stayed in the Bay Area via a restructured contract. Depending on the length of Lance’s absence, the veteran could once again carry the load for an extended period.
In the immediate future, Garoppolo faces the task of guiding a 49ers offense which, for the second straight contest, does not include All-Pro tight end George Kittle against the Seahawks. Seattle pulled off an upset win over Denver last week, but San Francisco currently leads 13-0. Big-picture implications loom large for the team at the QB position, however.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance broke his right ankle Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks and will have season-ending surgery Monday, coach Kyle Shanahan said after the team’s 27-7 win.
Lance was hurt with 2:20 to go in the first quarter and replaced by Jimmy Garoppolo.
With 2:33 to go in the opening quarter, the Niners ran a zone-read play in which Lance had the option to hand off the ball to receiver Ray-Ray McCloud or keep it. He opted to keep it and ran up the middle, where Cody Barton met him in the hole. Lance fell awkwardly as his right leg appeared to fold under him.
Lance stayed on the field for a few moments in obvious pain. His right leg was put in an air cast, and his teammates quickly gathered around him to offer words of encouragement before he left the field on a cart and headed to the locker room. He was ruled out shortly afterward.
Garoppolo, the veteran quarterback whom Lance replaced in the offseason, entered the game and completed his first attempt for 4 yards before the Niners settled for a field goal. Lance was 2-of-3 for 30 yards and had three carries for 13 yards before he departed.
After leading the Niners in rushing attempts (13) and yards (54) in a Week 1 loss to the Bears, Lance spoke at length on Wednesday about the differences between college and the NFL and the need to protect himself when running.
“I’m not bigger, faster and stronger than pretty much everyone else,” Lance said. “Guys catch up a lot quicker, space is filled, guys close a lot faster, and I have to learn to protect myself, just being in a different situation knowing how important it is for me to stay healthy.”
After offseason surgery on his right shoulder in early March, Garoppolo agreed to a reworked contract with the Niners on Aug. 29, reducing his base salary from $24 million to $6.5 million (fully guaranteed) with incentives built in for playing time and team success that could take it up to $16 million.
Garoppolo looked comfortable in his first game action since his surgery, going 13-for-21 for 154 yards and a touchdown. He also had four carries for 5 yards and a TD.
Deebo Samuel and the San Francisco 49ers have reportedly agreed to terms on a three-year, $71.55 million contract extension that could become worth up to $73.5 million. That places Samuel’s average annual salary for the new years added between $23.85 million and $24.5 million.
Samuel is set to earn a base salary of $3.87 million in 2022, the final year of his rookie deal. Where does Samuel now rank among 49ers players in average salary when we look at just his extension money? He takes the No. 2 spot, becoming the top spot once the 49ers remove quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo from the roster.
Player
Avg. Salary
Jimmy Garoppolo
$27,500,000
Deebo Samuel
$23,850,000
Trent Williams
$23,010,000
Fred Warner
$19,045,000
Arik Armstead
$17,000,000
George Kittle
$15,000,000
Charvarius Ward
$13,500,000
Jimmie Ward
$9,500,000
Trey Lance
$8,526,319
Nick Bosa
$8,387,966
Samuel also ranks No. 2 when it comes to guaranteed money. $58.1 million of his new deal is reportedly guaranteed. Only one player in 49ers history—Garoppolo on his five-year deal signed in 2018—has received more guaranteed money.
Player
Guaranteed
Jimmy Garoppolo
$74,100,000
Deebo Samuel
$58,100,000
Trent Williams
$55,100,000
Fred Warner
$40,500,000
Arik Armstead
$40,000,000
George Kittle
$40,000,000
Trey Lance
$34,105,275
Nick Bosa
$33,551,865
Charvarius Ward
$26,620,000
Mike McGlinchey
$18,341,721
Numbers courtesy of Spotrac.
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What does Seahawks’ WR D.K. Metcalf’s extension mean for 49ers’ WR Deebo Samuel’s potential extension?
By Rohan Chakravarthi
Jul 29
Seattle Seahawks star receiver receiver D.K. Metcalf finally received his long-term contract extension, earning a three-year, $72 million deal with $58.2 million guaranteed, as well as a $30 million signing bonus, which was the largest ever for a wide receiver in NFL history.
Now comes San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel’s contract extension, as the two sides have been continuously in talks over the past few weeks according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.
In a slew of major deals for wide receivers this offseason, there are three specific cases that could be the defining factor in Samuel’s contract negotiations: Philadelphia Eagles wideout A.J. Brown, Washington Commanders wideout Terry McLaurin, and now Seattle Seahawks wideout D.K.
Deebo Samuel’s trainer on 49ers WR’s contract status: ‘He about to get paid’
San Francisco 49ers fans await Deebo Samuel contract news. The wide receiver generated a lot of offseason chatter by expressing his displeasure regarding his contract status, leading to a trade request. The 49ers, intent on keeping their most dynamic offensive weapon, didn’t entertain offers.
Samuel is back in the Bay Area, which could be viewed as a positive when it comes to the 49ers reconciling their relationship with the star player and locking him into a long-term deal. Players report to Santa Clara for training camp in a week, and it would be ideal to complete a deal before then.
TheSFNiners shared the following Instagram video of Samuel working with his trainer, who says the wide receiver is “about to get paid.” 49ers fans hope so. That would end
Pelissero: 49ers, Deebo Samuel continue to talk about contract extension
By Rohan Chakravarthi
Jul 25
Earlier this morning, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero shared the latest news on Deebo Samuel and his contract extension, stating that while there isn’t a finalized deal, both the 49ers and Samuel’s camp continue to talk about a long-term deal ahead of Tuesday, when the 49ers’ players are due to report to training camp.
“There’s no deal done yet, but the 49ers continue to talk to Deebo Samuel’s agent Tory Dandy about a long-term contract extension that would keep him in San Francisco. The fact that they’re even talking is really significant when you go back to where this began in April [with] Deebo Samuel requesting a trade. [He] didn’t show up to OTAs throughout the offseason, [but] did show up to minicamp.”
Pelissero noted that Deebo Samuel likely will not hold out
49ers signing WR Deebo Samuel to a 3-year contract extension worth up to $73.5 million
The drama is finally over. The San Francisco 49ers are signing wide receiver Deebo Samuel to a three-year, $71.55 million contract extension, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal reportedly includes $58.1 million in guaranteed money and will keep him with the team through the 2025 season. Samuel will earn at least $23.85 million annually, ranking eighth among wide receivers.
49ers are giving Deebo Samuel a three-year,$71.55 million extension, including $58.1 million guaranteed, per sources.— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)
Jerry Rice seems to be all aboard the Trey Lance train as the 2022 San Francisco 49ers season approaches.
The legendary former 49ers receiver spoke briefly about Lance with KSBW-TV in Monterey this week while he was in the area promoting his energy drink, G.O.A.T. Fuel. Rice was asked about Lance during his appearance and said he likes his dual threat potential over what Jimmy Garoppolo brings to the table and that he thinks Lance is ready to take over the team’s starting quarterback spot this season.
“Trey Lance, I think he’s ready to go,” Rice said. “And I think he’s incredible because he has that one aspect that Jimmy doesn’t have, and that’s the threat of running with the ball and stuff like that. So his mobility, his strong arm, and this guy, he’s before his time.”
It’s still hard to say exactly what the 49ers will get from Lance this season, but Rice seems to think the 2021 first-round pick has what he needs to be a success.
“He’s a young kid, but he’s very experienced and I think he’s ready to go,” Rice said.
Click here to watch the full video.
Lance and the 49ers have less than four weeks remaining before they begin training camp in Santa Clara, with rookies and veterans set to report on July 26. All eyes will be on Lance to see if he’s indeed ready to take permanent ownership of the starting role after waiting his turn behind Garoppolo last season.
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Former NFL player compares 49ers’ Trey Lance to Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes
By Rohan Chakravarthi
Jun 19
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance has started to attract serious attention from the media, as many analysts are coming on board with the 22-year-old’s potential as he enters his second NFL season.
During a recent appearance on NFL Total Access, former Green Bay Packers receiver James Jones continued the trend, going as far as comparing Lance to his former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.
“I believe we’re looking at a bonafide superstar [in Lance], like Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers,” Jones said. “We had a small sample size of Aaron Rodgers, but all you heard out of the locker room and the people around Aaron was, ‘Just wait. You
Bruschi: 49ers’ Trey Lance has ‘most to prove’ among second-year QBs
The quarterbacks from the 2021 draft class will be linked together and compared for a long time. Most received a significant amount of playing time during their rookie seasons. The one who did not was San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance. He started just two games and spent most of his freshman NFL season learning behind veteran Jimmy Garoppolo.
The upcoming season will be different, though. Lance is slated to become the 49ers’ full-time starter, with Garoppolo likely to be shipped out of Santa Clara. One ESPN analyst believes Lance has the most to prove among the 2021 first-round quarterback class that also includes Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, and Mac Jones.
“He is the one that has the most to prove because you almost have to prove your
Five Reasons to Trust Trey Lance as 49ers’ Quarterback
With the debate raging in the media and fandom about whether Trey Lance will start this year, an important fact has been lost by some. The team says Lance will start.
That begs several questions.
What kind of quarterback is Trey Lance? What can fans expect from this fledgling play-caller? Can Lance buck the “Shanahan Curse” and win without changing his first name to “Jimmy?”
These are fair questions (Well, maybe the last one is a bit facetious.). With all this in mind, here are five reasons to trust Trey Lance as the 49ers’ starting quarterback this season:
He has displayed incredible athletic potential.
Trey Lance’s college tape litters the internet. It isn’t unusual to discover hours of footage covering all the plays
Sam Acho picks 49ers’ Trey Lance as 2nd-year QB to make biggest jump in 2022
Last week, ESPN analyst Rob Ninkovich looked at the 2021 rookie quarterback class and stated he expects Trey Lance to make the “biggest jump” in Year 2. Another ESPN analyst, Sam Acho, agrees with that prediction.
Why is Lance the best second-year quarterback, in Acho’s opinion? It’s because of the weapons around him. The 22-year-old quarterback will have wide receiver Deebo Samuel (assuming the offseason rift can be mended) and tight end George Kittle at his disposal.
“Yes, there was a reason Zach Wilson was the second pick overall last year,” Acho said. “There’s a reason Trey Lance was third, right? Because he’s that good as well.”
On Wednesday, the San Francisco 49ers made their assistant coaches available to reporters, as they do every offseason. Below are some noteworthy tidbits from the interactions.
No contact with Garoppolo
On Tuesday, tight end George Kittle said he hasn’t spoken with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo since the team cleaned out their lockers after the season. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said the 49ers still intend to trade Garoppolo, but also said nothing is guaranteed.
On Wednesday, San Francisco’s new quarterbacks coach, Brian Griese, said he has worked closely with all of the team’s quarterbacks this offseason, except for Garoppolo. In fact, the assistant coach hasn’t even spoken with Garoppolo.
New #49ers Qb coach Brian Griese is working closely with Trey Lance, Nate Sudfeld and Brock Purdy. He has not had any communication with Jimmy Garoppolo, he said.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) May 25, 2022
#49ers assistants are meeting media, and QB Brian Griese has had lot of cool stuff to say about transition to coaching; he hasn’t spoken with Jimmy Garoppolo yet
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) May 25, 2022
Yes, Garoppolo is rehabbing from his March 8 shoulder surgery. Still, the position coach not working at all with the quarterback is a good indicator that the team is focused on moving forward without him.
Chris Foerster confident in Aaron Banks
Last year’s second-round pick, Aaron Banks, played just five offensive snaps during his rookie campaign in 2021. However, the 49ers seem confident that the offensive lineman can make more of an impact during his second NFL season.
49ers offensive line coach Chris Foerster believes Banks can earn the starting left guard spot following the departure of Laken Tomlinson to the New York Jets.
49ers O-line coach Chris Foerster is bullish on Aaron Banks grabbing the starting LG spot. Told me that Banks’ natural side is the left. SF was actually very pleased with how he ended his rookie season. They have Laken Tomlinson to replace
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) May 25, 2022
Kris Kocurek praised Armstead’s adaptability in 2021
Defensive line coach Kris Kocurek shared that the 49ers value versatility along the defensive front. That shouldn’t surprise anyone. However, the assistant gave a lot of credit to Arik Armstead’s adaptability for the unit’s success in 2021, especially after injuries impacted the team.
“I didn’t mandate anything,” Kocurek shared. “I said, ‘Hey, I’m just bouncing this off of you. What do you think about it?’ … He was all for [moving inside]. Arik, the main thing that he showed me is he’s an unselfish player. He’s a team-first guy. He’s been a captain the last two years. The guys look up to him.
“And most people can’t make that transition midseason. If you’re going to make that type of transition, it usually needs to be in the offseason, [using] the OTAs to get kind of acquainted in there, and then sharpen it out in [training] camp, and then hit the ground running Week 1.
“He gets thrown in there Week 7, Week 8. It’s not the easiest thing to do. Arik excelled in there as the season went on. … And then in the playoffs, I thought he played his best ball, was a difference-making type player in there, run and pass.”
Inside insight from 49ers D-line coach Kris Kocurek today on DE/DT versatility that’s a hallmark of his unit. Kocurek gave major credit to Arik Armstead for the in-season adaptability he showed.
Enlightening stuff, more coming: https://t.co/OxlLeJ6OEb
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) May 25, 2022
Raiders working out Colin Kaepernick
This one isn’t from Wednesday’s media availability, but it is still noteworthy. Former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who last played in the league during the 2016 season, has a workout scheduled with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Colin Kaepernick, who last played football in 2016, the same year he started kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice, is scheduled to work out this week for the Las Vegas Raiders, league sources told ESPN.
More on NFL Live now. pic.twitter.com/zAuWybhILx
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 25, 2022
Kaepernick has been out of the league since the start of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch’s regime when the 49ers opted not to bring back the quarterback.
Kaepernick’s NFL career was halted after the quarterback started kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice, which sparked many others to follow in his footsteps the following season. Director Spike Lee is working on a multipart documentary for ESPN that will focus on the polarizing quarterback.
In 2021, Netflix released the drama series “Colin in Black & White,” narrated by Kaepernick.
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Brian Griese on 49ers’ Trey Lance: ‘He is an outstanding young man in so many ways’
San Francisco 49ers assistant coaches spoke with reporters on Wednesday. That included new quarterbacks coach Brian Griese, who is coming off a broadcast career with ESPN. The task ahead of him: Help mold second-year quarterback Trey Lance and prepare him to guide the 49ers to success.
Griese expressed his excitement about returning to coaching. He was asked about last year’s No. 3 overall pick and what he has seen from the 22-year-old quarterback.
“With respect to Trey, in particular, meeting him and getting to know him over the last couple of months, he is an outstanding young man in so many ways,” Griese said. “I’m excited to continue to get to know him both on and off the field. I’m excited that he comes to work every day, and he’s humble, and he wants to get
49ers Notebook: Frustrated Javon Kinlaw lashes out at reporter
By Rohan Chakravarthi
9 hrs
After an eventful day of organized team activities (OTAs) on Tuesday, which marked the first time that the media was allowed at practice during Phase 3 of the offseason schedule, the night ended with some unexpected news regarding a certain San Francisco 49ers player.
Here is the latest 49ers news:
Frustrated 49ers DT Javon Kinlaw lashes out at reporter
After an encounter that occurred during the open portion of OTAs between Javon Kinlaw, the third-year defensive tackle for the 49ers, and Sports Illustrated’s Grant Cohn, in which Kinlaw reportedly knocked Cohn’s hat off, the 24-year old player joined Cohn’s YouTube livestream late Tuesday night and provided a profanity-filled response to Cohn’s previous criticism of
49ers Notebook: Brock Purdy’s draft surprise, Tariq Castro-Fields on his NFL readiness, and more
Rookie minicamp gets underway Friday for 49ers drafted players and undrafted free agents, but before those players take the field, they were hit with a number of questions from reporters during pre-camp media sessions on Thursday.
Among the players to speak with reporters on Thursday were wide receiver and third-round pick Danny Gray (SMU), offensive lineman and fourth-round pick Spencer Burford (UT-San Antonio), cornerback and sixth-round pick Tariq Castro-Fields (Penn State), quarterback and seventh-round pick Brock Purdy (Iowa State), and undrafted offensive linemen Jason Poe (Mercer) and Dohnovan West (Arizona State). 49ers WebZone already discussed what Gray said
49ers Notebook: Jimmie Ward the villain, Danny Gray’s speed, Charvarius Ward impressions, Alex Mack’s future
Several San Francisco 49ers players spoke with reporters following Tuesday’s practice, the first of organized team activities (OTAs) that was open to the media. Below are some noteworthy updates from those players that weren’t already covered here.
Danny Gray = Speed
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was asked to share his first impressions of rookie Danny Gray, the receiver selected in the third round of the draft.
“He can fly,” Aiyuk said. “But also, he came in, he’s ready to learn. He’s ready to work. I like him.”
Aiyuk has done his homework on Charvarius Ward
Aiyuk admitted to doing some homework on the 49ers’ biggest free-agent signing, Charvarius Ward, knowing that he would have to face the cornerback in
The San Francisco 49ers kicked off organized team activities (OTAs) on Monday. The first on-field session wasn’t open to the media, though. Reporters will get their first look at the players on Tuesday.
The 49ers did offer a glimpse of Monday’s action, posting a video of players going through practice.
The video provides a quick look at Trey Lance, last year’s No. 3 overall pick, and many others. Most expect the second-year quarterback to be the 49ers’ starter in 2022. There has been no shortage of national media questioning his readiness to lead the offense after serving as Jimmy Garoppolo’s backup last season and starting just two games as a rookie.
OTAs will offer Lance the first opportunity for the 22-year-old quarterback to quiet his skeptics.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan and various players are scheduled to speak to reporters after Tuesday’s practice.
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49ers’ Trey Lance among QBs to join George Kittle, others at TEU in June
George Kittle, Greg Olsen, and Travis Kelce will once again hold Tight End University (TEU), an annual gathering of NFL tight ends who share their experiences and learn from each other. Last year’s inaugural event hosted 49 tight ends. This year’s gathering is expected to be even larger.
TEU will be held at Vanderbilt University from June 22-24, an upgrade from the high school facilities utilized in 2021.
After a strong response last year, 75 NFL tight ends — including @gregolsen88
Why So Negative? A Look at the Trey Lance Narrative
Trey Lance, who just celebrated his 22nd birthday on May 9, has played ten quarters of regular-season football thus far in his career with the 49ers. However, if you were to search his name on Twitter, or fire up the ol’ Google machine and search there, you would think that the kid has played for multiple seasons and has been downright awful at playing quarterback.
There are 49ers fans on Twitter who have no problem calling him a bust. There are countless national media members and analysts who continue to question Lance’s readiness to play the position. Whether it’s rumors of coaches and front office members being “continually underwhelmed” by the young
First look at 49ers rookies on the practice field
The San Francisco 49ers kicked off a three-day rookie minicamp this afternoon. It’s the first time players from the team’s latest draft class have been able to suit up and get on the practice field, including defensive lineman Drake Jackson, running back Ty Davis-Price, and wide receiver Danny Gray.
David Lombardi of The Athletic shared some videos of the rookie draft class going through their first practice in red and gold.
Rookie QB Brock Purdy in a 49ers uniform for the first time pic.twitter.com/NQnawclz62— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself)
49ers legend Bryant Young offers this advice to Trey Lance
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance is preparing to enter his second NFL season, and likely his first as a full-time starter. He had two starts during his rookie campaign, but only because veteran Jimmy Garoppolo was injured.
49ers legend Bryant Young played on the defensive side of the football for 14 years, all with San Francisco. Young frustrated opposing quarterbacks during his illustrious career, bringing them down a team-record 89.5 times.
What advice does the soon-to-be Hall of Fame defender have for the 49ers’ 22-year-old quarterback?
“He’s a big kid,” Young said Wednesday on KNBR’s Murph & Mac show. “I got a chance to meet him at the 49ers Foundation event earlier in the year. Not only is he a big, athletic kid with a
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Although the San Francisco 49ers are expecting rookie quarterback Trey Lance to return to practice on Wednesday, veteran Jimmy Garoppolo will remain the starter Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
After Sunday night’s 30-18 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan expressed some uncertainty about who his quarterback would be against Chicago, citing the need to get health updates on Lance and, especially, Garoppolo before a decision could be made.
In the less than 24 hours that followed, Shanahan got enough information to declare Monday afternoon that Garoppolo will remain the starter with the hope that Lance can do enough in practice this week to play situationally against the Bears.
“In terms of deciding who is going at quarterback, that has to do with Jimmy’s health,” Shanahan said. “Jimmy, I wanted to see how his calf was. It’s good today and so he’ll be starting and hopefully Trey will get back into practice and have a good enough week to where he can dress and if he ends up dressing then there’s always a good chance he’ll get some plays in there.”
Although Garoppolo apparently came out of the game OK, he said afterward that he could feel the previously bruised and strained right calf as the matchup wore on, though he noted that it didn’t hinder him.
“It held up,” Garoppolo said. “Definitely felt it at times. But it sort of is what it is.”
Still, Garoppolo had what Shanahan called Monday “his worst game” of the season against the Colts, going 16-of-27 for 181 yards with a touchdown, two interceptions and a lost fumble.
With the Niners in the midst of a four-game losing streak, the drumbeat for Lance to get his opportunity has grown louder, at least among fans. But Shanahan was more definitive Monday when discussing his quarterback situation, making it clear that he didn’t view the Indianapolis game as a referendum on Garoppolo’s status as the starter.
“We didn’t go into that game thinking that Jimmy was one bad game away from losing his job or anything like that,” Shanahan said. “I definitely thought he could have played better but that was not a game where ‘Hey, if Jimmy has one bad game, he’s losing his job.’ We know Trey is the future here and we’re trying to do what’s best for him and for our team.”
For now, that means getting Lance’s sprained left knee back to full health. Lance suffered that injury in his first and only NFL start, an Oct. 10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. That start only happened because of the calf injury Garoppolo suffered the week before.
Lance went 15-of-29 for 192 yards with an interception against the Cardinals and rushed 16 times for 89 yards. All of those rushes took a toll, though, as Shanahan announced the day after that game that Lance would miss a week or two with the knee sprain.
Lance was a pregame inactive against the Colts with Nate Sudfeld serving as Garoppolo’s backup. This week, Shanahan expects Lance to return to practice on Wednesday, which at least opens the door for him to return to the backup role behind Garoppolo.
“Trey hasn’t practiced in two weeks since his knee injury, so when he does come back, which is hopefully Wednesday, he’s probably going to be limited as it is,” Shanahan said. “I haven’t decided that yet, we’ll have to see where he is. Odds are, when it comes to the game plan and stuff and what we’re doing, you’re not going to just start rotating quarterbacks because it’s not an open competition right now.”
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — With the San Francisco 49ers’ losing streak at four, the outside calls for rookie quarterback Trey Lance to replace Jimmy Garoppolo continue to grow louder.
When Lance might take over for Garoppolo remains to be seen, but Niners coach Kyle Shanahan sounded more uncertain about his quarterback situation Sunday night than he has at any point this season.
On the heels of a 30-18 loss to the Indianapolis Colts that dropped the 49ers to 2-4, Shanahan was asked if Garoppolo will start next week against the Chicago Bears.
“I would guess so,” Shanahan said. “I’ll watch this tape and see if guys are healthy, first of all.”
A few moments later, Shanahan was asked what his process would be in deciding who his starting quarterback would be in Chicago.
“I have got a whole team to worry about,” Shanahan said. “I’m not just thinking about the quarterback situation right now. I’ll evaluate everything, see where our team’s at, see who gives us the best chance to beat Chicago and see what our options are … But we’ve got a lot of things to figure out.”
By “see what our options are,” Shanahan was referring, of course, to the statuses of Garoppolo and Lance, neither of whom has been the picture of health in recent weeks.
Against the Colts, Garoppolo returned from the strained and bruised right calf that he suffered against the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 3.
Lance started the Oct. 10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in place of Garoppolo but sprained his left knee in that game, which made him a pregame inactive Sunday night.
While Garoppolo was able to use the team’s Week 6 bye to get healthy enough to start against Indianapolis, Shanahan remains unsure when Lance will be good to go. The 49ers hoped Lance’s injury would last just a week or two, but he did not participate in practice last week and might still need time to heal before he could even be active again, let alone start.
Alas, Garoppolo is still dealing with his own injuries. After finishing 16-of-27 passing for 181 yards with a touchdown, a fumble and two interceptions Sunday night, Garoppolo acknowledged that his calf still bothered him throughout the game, though he said it wasn’t “hindering” him at all.
“It held up,” Garoppolo said. “Definitely felt it at times. But it sort of is what it is. All the guys out there, we’re all playing with something right now. It’s that point of the season.”
In addition to the quarterback situation, the 49ers must find more answers for what ails them in a hurry. Sunday night’s loss was San Francisco’s fifth straight to the Colts dating to 2005 and dropped the 49ers 4½ games behind Arizona in the NFC West.
On a wet, windy night at Levi’s Stadium, many of the same issues that have plagued the Niners all season continued to be problems. Namely, an inability to convert on third down (1-of-11), a negative-2 turnover differential and a continued penchant for defensive pass interference penalties. The Niners were called for five defensive pass interference penalties, with the Colts accepting three of them for 97 yards, pushing San Francisco’s league-leading total to 11.
All of it added up to another somber postgame locker room and Shanahan acknowledging that he deserves the criticism that comes with his team’s disappointing start.
“You lose four games in a row, I’m the head coach of this team, I expect it and I deserve it,” Shanahan said.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback Trey Lance was thrown into last week’s game at halftime on short notice. This week, there’s no such uncertainty.
Lance will make his first NFL start Sunday against the 4-0 Arizona Cardinals, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday. That announcement comes after a week in which Lance took the reps with the starting offense with starter Jimmy Garoppolo dealing with a strained and bruised right calf.
Garoppolo is listed as out on Friday’s injury report after he did not practice all week. That means it will be Lance starting and veteran Nate Sudfeld expected to get elevated from the practice squad to serve as Lance’s backup.
Lance, who will be 21 years and 154 days old on Sunday, will become the fourth-youngest quarterback at the time of his first NFL start. He will also attempt to become only the second quarterback (joining Phil Simms in 1979) selected in the first round to get his first start against a team that’s 4-0 or better.
While this will be Lance’s first start, he is coming off his first extended playing time. He replaced Garoppolo at halftime of last week’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks, learning he was going into the game just moments before the third quarter began. After some shaky early moments, he settled down a bit in a performance Shanahan said had “some good and some bad.”
Lance finished that game 9-of-18 for 157 yards with two touchdowns and ran seven times for 41 yards. Having the full week of practice with the starters not only allowed Lance to get more comfortable but also gave the 49ers the chance to build out a game plan with more Lance-specific plays.
On Wednesday, Garoppolo was hopeful he’d be able to play against the Cardinals but acknowledged that he’d be “battling through” the calf injury rather than being fully healthy.
That was an important distinction given that Garoppolo attempted to return too quickly from a high ankle sprain in last year’s Week 5 loss to the Miami Dolphins. A clearly hobbled Garoppolo went 7-of-17 for 77 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions before heading to the bench in that 43-17 loss.
This week, Garoppolo is expected to be a pregame inactive, but with the Niners heading toward a Week 6 bye, the team hopes he can be healthy for the Oct. 24 game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Garoppolo said Wednesday that while he was hoping to play this week, he was also spending time helping Lance prepare when possible.
“It’s kind of the balancing act,” Garoppolo said. “If Trey has any questions, anything that just I’ve ran in the past or that he hasn’t ran, [I’m] helping him out any way with that.”
