SECOND OPERATION FOR NINERS’ LANCE

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance underwent a second operation on his injured right ankle but is still expected to recover by the start of the offseason program.

The Niners said Saturday that Lance needed the additional surgery to remove hardware placed in the ankle in the original operation in September.

The hardware was located near a tendon in Lance’s ankle and was causing irritation. After consulting with doctors, the decision was made to remove the hardware.

The 49ers said Lance will continue his rehab and is expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of organized team activities in the spring.

Lance broke his ankle on a run in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, cutting short his second season in the NFL.

Lance had taken over the starting job this season after being drafted third overall in 2021. San Francisco traded three first-round picks to move up nine spots to take Lance, making a major investment in him.

He has started just four games in two seasons in the NFL.

Notable

Defensive co-captain and safety Xavier Mckinney was activated from reservenon-football injury list and is expected to play in the Giants’ win-and-in game against the Colts today. Mckinney has missed seven games since breaking bones in his left hand while vacationing in Mexico during the bye week in early November.

The joint review conducted by the NFL and the NFL Players Association found no violations of their protocols in the handling of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s second diagnosed concussion this season. The league and the players’ union said in a joint statement Saturday that their review “established that symptoms of a concussion were neither exhibited nor reported” until the day after the Dolphins’ game against the Packers, “at which time the team medical personnel appropriately evaluated and placed Mr. Tagovailoa in the concussion protocol.”