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It may soon be rookie Trey Lance’s time to shine in San Francisco.
On Monday, starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was noticeably absent from practice, with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirming that he had suffered a right thumb sprain during last Thursday’s loss to the Titans. A source elaborated on the injury Monday to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, noting the quarterback has a torn ulnar collateral ligament of the right thumb, as well as a fracture.
Garoppolo’s availability for Sunday’s game against the Texans remains unclear. Should the 30-year-old quarterback be unable to play, Lance would likely get the nod in what would be his second NFL start. The 49ers (8-7) are currently in sixth place in the NFC.
Shanahan, who selected Lance third overall in this year’s NFL Draft, recently praised the North Dakota State product’s progress.
“This last month of Trey has been his best consecutive four weeks at practice since we’ve had him,” Shanahan said, per ESPN. “He’s had a number of good days and he’s had some bad days like most guys do, but as far as his consistency and stuff, I feel this last month has been his best.”
Lance, who made his first NFL start in October against the Cardinals, remains the quarterback of San Francisco’s future, as verified by Shanahan last month. Unlike Lance, Garoppolo’s future remains something of a question mark as the 49ers can potentially cut him this offseason without any salary cap damage. GM John Lynch made waves over the weekend when he “accidentally and unknowingly” liked a tweet which said to “leave Jimmy in Nashville.”
With the postseason still within reach, the quarterback who starts for the 49ers on Sunday will likely be feeling some kind of playoff pressure on their shoulders.
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