Subscribe
Follow Us
It looks like head coach Kyle Shanahan is convinced Trey Lance is ready to start for the San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers have been hit by another major injury blow after it was revealed that Jimmy Garoppolo is dealing with a thumb injury. While Shanahan did not indicate the severity of the issue, recent reports highlighted that he had a chipped bone and torn ligament in his right thumb–which is clearly more significant than just a sprained thumb.
Garoppolo will be re-evaluated on Wednesday, but his status for Week 17 against the Houston Texans remains in doubt.
With that said, some raised the question whether Lance should start instead to allow Garoppolo to properly heal. Beside, it should give the rookie a chance to get more reps at QB after being sidelined for most of the year.
For what it's worth, while Shanahan held off on playing Lance because he believes he's not yet ready, that doesn't seem to be the case anymore.
“I think this last month with Trey has been his best consecutive four weeks of practice since we've had him,” Shanahan said of the rookie QB, per 49ers Webzone. “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.”
Does this mean Trey Lance will finally get the starting nod after his one-game experience in Week 5? Possibly. However, it still depends on Jimmy Garoppolo's condition–with reports he'll try to gut it out next Sunday.
But should the 49ers opt to sit out Jimmy G., fans can rest easy knowing that Kyle Shanahan now trusts Lance more. Hopefully, the rookie can deliver as San Francisco attempts to stay in playoff contention.
![Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Arik Armstead (91) runs off the field before an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars held off the Titans 20-13. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Arik-Armstead-with-Jaguars.jpg)
