2:47pm: In a statement, the team confirmed that the procedure was successful in repairing a “fibula fracture and ligament disruption.” The 49ers are confident that Lance will be able to make a full recovery in time for the start of the 2023 season.
1:54pm: One day after his season came to an abrupt end, Trey Lance is beginning the recovery process which will allow him to get back on the field. The 49ers quarterback is undergoing surgery to repair his fractured and dislocated ankle today, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets. 
Lance was carted off the field during yesterday’s game against the Seahawks. The injury was immediately thought to be serious, and it was confirmed not long after that season-ending surgery would be required. Pelissero notes that the 22-year-old did not suffer a compound fracture, but that provides little in the way of consolation considering the blow this injury represents to his career arc and San Francisco’s QB plans.
2022 was meant to mark the beginning of Lance’s tenure as the undisputed starter, something which was signalled last April when the 49ers traded up to draft him third overall. Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo helped guide the team to the NFC title game last year, but was thought to be a key figure in the offseason’s quarterback market. A shoulder injury left San Francisco with few suitors outside of their division, however.
Ultimately, he stayed in San Francisco on a deal which greatly reduced his base salary but includes plenty of incentives. The fact that he has now once again become the No. 1 gives the 30-year-old significant earning potential. As detailed by ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), Garoppolo could make $5.6MM based on playing time and victories, in addition to his $6.5MM base salary, which is fully guaranteed.
A repeat of last year’s success (along with that of the 2019 campaign, in which the 49ers went to the Super Bowl) cannot be ruled out, given Garoppolo’s track record. Still, he is scheduled to hit free agency this spring, while the 49ers will no doubt keep an eye on the recovery process of their presumed future franchise signal-caller.
They need to decide, when, he comes back, if they want a QB or a RB. They can’t have both, it don’t work. “IF” he comes back after this and is half the player he was before the injury, they need to consider whats best for him and their investment. It’s one thing to run when you are under pressure or flushed out of the pocket, but, just to run to make yardage, will cut your future, real short, and end your carreer !!
I feel like they already had a solid quarterback. I know every 49er fan has called me stupid and i dont know what im talking about but call me stupid. I swear Jimmy G has a nice resume and a Super Bowl ?
Starting a sentence with “I feel like…” makes you sound like a young girl.
Lamar Jackson last a few more games than Lance and he runs quite a bit.
So did Cam. You can have some success but it won’t last long.
Agreed, but he only ran 3 times and got his ankle hurt on that somewhat routine play. Should they cover him in bubble wrap or just give him a flag for defenders to pull off in lieu of tackling him?
We LOVE you Jimmy (passes on Mahomes to draft a bust DE then uses draft capital to acquire Jimmy)
We HATE you Jimmy (uses a FU** ton more draft capital to replace Jimmy w/ some unproven kid from North Baked Potato St)
EVERYBODY hates you Jimmy (tries to trade Jimmy but nobody wants him)
Lance goes down after a very underwhelming start to his career… We love you again Jimmy.
Awkward.
Lynch and Shanahan are clowns.
They blew it with that draft really bad
They are clowns that assembled a talented roster and got their team to 2 NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl in 3 years. That is pretty good recent success for clowns.
In a pretty decent division (albeit going down very fast after Rams and 49ers mortgage the future for QB’s and Seahawks run to the end of veteran lane). Pete Carroll is looking pretty smart for trading Russell Wilson at just the right moment (run out of steam, but still has reputation of a game changer).
Pretty much the best thing that could have happened to him, as he would of otherwise washed out of the league about midway through this season. And of course it gives him more time to host stripper parties…
As a lifelong 49ers fan I wish him the best but don’t want him back as our Qb. His arm slot, motion and release all lead to accuracy issues. He will never develop into enough of a passer to be good. You have to on run him and not pass much and that is not what I want to watch.
As a 49ers fan the whole Lance saga has been hard to stomach from the get go and is giving me indigestion at this point. For giving up three first round picks and a third rounder he’s always had massive expectations placed upon him. Even so he sat for a year leaving three guaranteed on his rookie deal. Pre-season this year he played sparingly as most snaps went to Purdy and Sudfeld. As a fan with last year’s starting qb looking for a trade and your not even giving the new guy game reps was a massive red flag. The fact that he has just over one-hundred pass attempts and almost 60 rushing attempts through effectively half his rookie deal does not give me any confidence what-so-ever. With the resigning of Jimmy G it appears to me that the organization has a lack of confidence and was in possible panic mode. At this point Lance is a bust grade, he should have very little in the way of trade value and the cost to obtain him could’ve easily been used to conduct a trade of another known commodity qb. Oh well one more year without our first round pick.
Keeping Jimmy G. may have saved Shanahan’s job and a couple of 49er seasons. Who says you don’t need a starter level backup in the NFL?
Every team should have at least 1 starting caliber Qb on their roster. I didn’t see Lance holding down the starting job even if Grop was traded. I was expecting Purdy to take the reins by week 10 if Grop was traded. Lance has never shown enough to be considered a starting caliber Qb.
You’re right. The real issue with Garropolo is not that he’s not good enough (he is, history has shown a team doesn’t need Aaaron Rodgers level quarterback play to win Super Bowls). It’s that he’s a bit fragile, so you could end up in the last month of a season with the playoffs ahead and either have to play an injured Garropolo (not very good when nicked) or your second-string quaterback.