Getty Trey Lance
Though their Week 2 game against the Seattle Seahawks was off to a good start, with Robbie Gould putting up a quick three points on the opening drive, things took a turn for the worst on the second drive, where San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance took a particularly hard hit from defensive tackle Bryan Mone and was carted off the field.
For Lance, the play started off normally enough, with the second-year quarterback taking the snap from the shotgun before running a read-option with new starting running back Jeff Wilson. Lance decided to keep it and ran to the right of the center, progressing the ball two yards before being leveled by Mone. The medical staff quickly took to the field, and Lance was ultimately carted off of the field with an air cast around his ankle.
Trey Lance is being carted off the field with his right leg in an air cast.
Lance was quickly ruled out of the game with an ankle injury and was ultimately replaced by Jimmy Garoppolo.
Update: Trey Lance Is Headed Under The Knife
After hours of anticipation, ESPN Insider Adam Schefter reported the news that many fans expected, but few wanted to believe, “49ers’ QB Trey Lance suffered a significant ankle injury today that is expected to require surgery that likely will end his season, per source.”
49ers’ QB Trey Lance suffered a significant ankle injury today that is expected to require surgery that likely will end his season, per source.
Kyle Shanahan confirmed Schefter’s reporting during his postgame presser, announcing that Lance had a broken ankle and will in fact need surgery to repair it.
David Lombardi Provides Insight On Kyle Shanahan’s Plan For Lance
After watching Lance’s status go up in the air for the foreseeable future, The Athletic’s San Francisco 49ers beat writer, David Lombardi, took to Twitter to provide insight into the Niners’ thought process under center.
“Shanahan’s plan for him involved exposing him to greater injury risk as he developed as a passer,” Lombardi tweeted. “There was no way around that. If Lance was going to play, he’d have to run, and running is more dangerous. That was part of the deal, and the worst case happened.”
Lombardi also added some insight into why the Niners ultimately decided to keep Garoppolo back in March, and why the decision to bring him back on a more team-friendly contract appears to be the right one.
“And yes, this one of the reasons why the 49ers didn’t just cut Jimmy Garoppolo to appease social media in March. You need fair return to give up any valuable asset — basic business. When fair return didn’t present itself, they ended up tremendously fortunate to keep Garoppolo.”
Fans Worry About The San Francisco 49ers Future
When images started to circulate online of Lance’s ankle practically facing the wrong direction, it generated a variety of different reactions from fans across Niner Nation and beyond.
Adam Patrick, who writes for Fansided’s The Viking Age questioned whether or not Lance would be able to return in 2022 period, with 30 fans and counting quote tweeting his graphic graphic echoing his sentiments.
I don’t think Trey Lance will be coming back this season…
Even the social media team of the Seahawks decided to wish Lance the best while their team was still on the field, signaling that the feud between Richard Sherman’s former employers isn’t bigger than football.
Prayers up, @treylance09. 🙏
While everyone from A.J. Brown to Skip Bayless added their voices to the choir of Lance well wishers, others, like former NFL player-turned-media pundit Ike Reese added that this exact situation is why John Lynch decided to keep Garoppolo in the first place, considering how some fans actually cheered on the quarterback change, it was a very diplomatic way of putting the forced swap.
🙏🏿 Hopefully Trey Lance will be ok. This is why it was always the right move to keep Jimmy G.