‘He has a chance’
Whether or not 49ers’ Trey Lance era starts Sunday, be careful what you wish for
That’s just one more question in a 49ers season that is, so far, full of them, including:
Are the 49ers a Super Bowl contender? Or not?
Is Kyle Shanahan a quarterback whisperer? Or not?
The 49ers offered no clarification on the status of their starting quarterback on Monday, the day after Jimmy Garoppolo left the game against Seattle at halftime and rookie Lance played the second half.
While Garoppolo was frustrated and a bit emotional on Sunday after another lower leg injury, it turns out that the injury may not be as serious as it seemed. Or as the quarterback himself thought.
Shanahan called the issue a “calf contusion” that will be reevaluated as the week goes on. And it means that, while Lance will be preparing as though he may be the starter, he may not be. Garoppolo may be ready to go.
While that’s deflating to the “Play Lance Now” crowd, don’t forget the situation next Sunday’s quarterback will face.
On the road. Against the NFL’S only undefeated team. An NFC West rival. Possibly without Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams, who also was injured Sunday and is now “day to day.” In other words: a very tough situation.
“He has a chance,” Shanahan said of Garoppolo’s availability. “It’s not as bad as it might have been. He’s in a lot of pain still.”
This is not the development a number of 49ers fans wanted to hear. They’ve been clamoring for Lance to play, laying all
the blame for whatever ills the 49ers have exhibited on the arm of a quarterback they are over.
I get it. That’s the way of the NFL, and specifically the ethos of the 49ers fan base, which has always romanced the backup quarterback.
The 49ers are 2-2 and currently at the bottom of the stacked NFC West, with both losses coming against teams
expected to compete for postseason berths. It’s a long season — longer than ever before with a 17-game slate, with 13 games left to play.
But it seems that there is more wrong with this 49ers team than who is lining up behind center. In fact, in the first four games, the quarterback has really been the least of the 49ers’ problems. The primary issues have been a decimated
running back corps, a lack of depth in the defensive secondary, special teams issues and — troublingly — some disappearing acts and confounding play by the vaunted defense.
So far, this team hasn’t looked like a Super Bowl contender in any phase of the game. But the blame is falling on Garoppolo, a situation that