49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo to start over Trey Lance vs. Colts?

It was learned back on Oct. 11 that San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback Trey Lance could miss at least this Sunday’s matchup against the Indianapolis Colts coming off San Francisco’s bye week because of a knee sprain. Lance had replaced veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, who went down with a calf contusion back on Oct. 3 and missed the subsequent contest versus the unbeaten Arizona Cardinals, but there may not be much of a quarterback controversy even among media members ahead of this weekend. 

Per David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone, Garoppolo was limited for Wednesday’s practice session, but Lance wasn’t even a participant. 

“I know he’s limited because we’ve got to make sure he can do everything,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said of Garoppolo. “We’ll have a much better idea today, but I’m pretty optimistic about it.” 

Shanahan added he was first “hoping” Lance could be available against Indianapolis, but that optimism has since waned. 

“It doesn’t look like it. He might have a chance at the end of the week, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s not ready to go until next week,” Shanahan explained about the first-year pro. 

Before the bye, Shanahan was committed to once again starting Garoppolo whenever the 29-year-old was cleared to return to the lineup. Thus far this season, Jimmy G has completed 78-of-118 passes (66.1%) for 925 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions in less than four full games of action. 

According to ESPN stats, Garoppolo sits 19th in the NFL with a 96.9 passer rating and 20th with a 50.6 total QBR.