Foot and ankle surgeon Dr. Kenneth Jung, who is a consultant to the Los Angeles Rams, raised eyebrows when he commented for a piece published Tuesday that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance could potentially return to action as soon as this December from what was thought to be a season-ending right ankle injury he suffered in this past Sunday’s win over the Seattle Seahawks.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan offered a different and expected diagnosis on Wednesday.
According to David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone, Shanahan was asked during his press conference about the possibility of Lance playing again during the 2022 season.
“No, he’ll be out until next year,” Shanahan answered.
Someone then asked Shanahan if “next year” could mean the postseason tournament that gets underway in January 2023.
“Next season,” Shanahan answered. “Thank you. That’s what years mean to me.”
The 49ers announced on Monday that Lance had undergone successful surgery to repair “a fibula fracture and ligament disruption.” Dr. Jung then told Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (h/t 49ers WebZone) that “this injury is about 10 to 12 weeks” but also said that “there could be a lot of non-medical factors that are playing a part in shutting him down” ahead of the official first day of fall.
“He’s doing as good as you can,” Shanahan added about Lance’s recovery. “Trey’s great. A number of guys have all talked to him a bunch. He’s trying to come to the game this week. I don’t think he’ll be able to until the swelling goes down and stuff like that, but he’ll be back as part of us sooner than later.”
Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo is back atop the San Francisco depth chart at the position in a contract year and will start when the 1-1 49ers play at the 1-1 Denver Broncos this Sunday night.
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