San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a UCL tear, an injury compromising his right thumb. He was initially thought to be out for multiple weeks, with rumors of Trey Lance starting beginning to heat up. But what is Jimmy G.’s status ahead of today’s Week 17 matchup against the Houston Texans?
Update 01/02/22: Jimmy Garoppolo is officially inactive for the 49ers today against the Texans. Trey Lance will get the start.
Will Jimmy Garoppolo play today vs. the Texans?
The initial reports ruled Garoppolo out for multiple weeks. However, during practice press conferences this week, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that the QB would attempt to practice and see if he can play Sunday. Garoppolo did not practice all week and was listed as doubtful on the 49ers’ final injury report.
While we’re yet to have official confirmation, the expectation following the doubtful tag was that Garoppolo would not play. The injury is the same Saints legend Drew Brees suffered in 2019. Brees missed several weeks and had surgery in order to repair the damage to his thumb. On Sunday morning Adam Schefter reported that while the 49ers do not expect Garoppolo to play in Week 17, they are hopeful he can return in Week 18 against the Rams.
How has Garoppolo performed this season in San Francisco?
Garoppolo’s form really picked up in the second half of the season. The Niners had varying injuries on offense through the first half of the year, mainly to star tight end George Kittle and the running back group.
Garoppolo wasn’t playing his best football through his first five starts, including a tough 2-interception day against the Colts in Week 7.
But as the year has gone on, he’s pulled it together. Garoppolo has thrown 13 touchdowns in his last eight starts. Moreover, he has put some very solid performances together. There are still mistakes in his game, but those 13 touchdowns to 6 interceptions are nothing to scoff at.
San Francisco started the season an underwhelming 2-4 but has battled through a fairly tough schedule to get back to 8-7. Now, they are in contention for the playoffs.
What does it mean for Trey Lance and the 49ers?
The 49ers sit in sixth place in the NFC, with only two games left in the regular season. They’re 8-7, along with the Philadelphia Eagles, but there are three teams (the Saints, Vikings, and Falcons) with 7-8 records. The Niners can’t afford to drop games, just in case a late surge by one of those squads threatens their playoff hopes.
Trey Lance will start if San Francisco officially rules Garoppolo out. If this occurs, it will mark only the second start of Lance’s young career. Garoppolo left Week 4 at halftime with a calf injury, and Lance came into that game and threw for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns, completing 9 of 18 passes.
In Week 5, Lance had his only career start and went for 192 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception against Arizona, completing just over 51% of his passes. Lance was drafted as a prospect, with time to sit and develop, but he may end up thrust into some very important playoff-altering contests in the next couple of weeks.