49ers’ Garoppolo out with sprained thumb, status uncertain with two games until playoffs

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — A Jimmy Garoppolo injury, described as a right-thumb sprain by coach Kyle Shanahan, puts the quarterback’s availability in limbo for the 49ers’ final two regular-season games and potential playoff run.

That could thrust Trey Lance into a starting role he’s appeared in only once his rookie season.

“It’s a thumb sprain, so you guys know how they are,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday on a conference call with reporters. “It diidn’t feel great today. He wasn’t able to throw today. We’ll see how it is Wednesday, and, hopefully, it will get better.”

Garoppolo has “a more significant injury” than a thumb sprain, ESPN’s Adam Schefter subsequently reported, citing an anonymous source.

Shanahan said Garoppolo did not sustain a fracture; Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson fractured the thumb on his throwing hand earlier this season and required surgery that kept him out three games before he rushed back into action.

The 49ers (8-7) play the Houston Texans (4-11) in Sunday’s home finale, then the regular season concludes Jan. 9 at the NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams (11-4) with potential playoff seedings at stake for both teams.

The first public sign of Garoppolo’s issue came with him missing from Monday afternoon’s brief media availability at practice, as the 49ers returned from a three-day break after Thursday’s last-seconds loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Garoppolo played every snap — and every one the past five games — in Thursday’s 20-17 loss at Tennessee, where he passed for 322 yards and a touchdown but had several off-target throws, including two interceptions, a near-interception and an overthrow toward an open Kyle Juszczyk.

A second-quarter sack is the one that injured Garoppolo, “when the guy drove him into the ground,” Shanahan said of the third-down play in which Denico Autry got past George Kittle to grab Garoppolo from behind and whip his body to the ground, without a penalty.

That sack came a series after Garoppolo overthrew an open Kyle Juszczyk, who said Garoppolo told him during the game about his issue. Garoppolo’s first throw in the third quarter resulted in an interception, and Shanahan pointed to that as where the “jammed” thumb “affected him the most.”

Lance has not thrown a pass since his only start, an Oct. 10 loss at Arizona, in which he passed for 192 yards (15-of-29, no touchdowns, one interception) and ran for 89 yards (16 carries). Lance sustained a sprained knee in that game and his only action since then were five snaps (three carries, 4 yards) to close out a Nov. 21 rout at Jacksonville.

“This last month of Trey has been his best consecutive four weeks of practice since we had him,” Shanahan added. “He’s had a number of good days, and he’s had some bad days, like most guys do. As far as consistency, this last month has been his best.”

Lance has shown better accuracy, decision making and health, and that has come exclusively on scout team, said Shanahan, adding that Lance would have come in at any other point this season if Garoppolo was struggling with an injury, just as could be the case going forward.

“He’s more confident when he’s slinging that rock,” defensive end Samson Ebukam said. “He knows whenever there’s a closed pocket on him, he knows how to evade. He’s come a long way and is more confident in the pocket.

“He’s got a good connection with his teammates and he’s turned into a leader, for sure.”

Lance had his helmet on and was at the ready on the sideline during the game. Garoppolo gave no indication after Thursday’s loss he was hurt, otherwise noting: “Just it’s a tough one, but got to take your lumps and move on from it.”

Garoppolo got sacked twice Thursday night, and after that second one with 10:58 remaining, he completed 8-of-10 passes for 127 yards and a game-tying touchdown to Brandon Aiyuk with 2:20 left.

Garoppolo has missed 1 1/2 games due to injury this season, the result of a calf contusion he sustained Oct. 3 against Seattle that forced him out at halftime of that 28-21 loss, as well as the ensuing defeat at Arizona. His injury history — anterior cruciate ligament tear in Week 3 2018 and high-ankle sprains last season — prompted the 49ers to trade up to the No. 3 overall spot in this year’s draft, where they selected Lance.

Garoppolo started every game in the 2019 season run to the NFC Championship and an eventual Super Bowl loss. He is 30-14 in regular-season in five seasons with the 49ers, after spending 3 1/2 years as Tom Brady’s backup with the New England Patriots.

Garoppolo’s absence at Monday’s brief practice didn’t rattle the team, fullback Kyle Juszczyk said.

“We didn’t know until we got to team period that Jimmy wasn’t out there,” Juszczyk said. “It was all of 10 minutes. It wasn’t much today. We only ran a few plays and then we got out of there.”

If the 49ers need to summon Lance for their playoff run, they would hope to rekindle their 2012 success, when an untested Colin Kaepernick took over for an injured Alex Smith just after midseason and helped guide a veteran-laden unit to the Super Bowl.

Lance’s rookie totals in the five games he’s appeared: 25-of-48 passing for 354 yards with three touchdowns, one interception and three sacks, plus 30 rushes for 137 yards and a touchdown. Lance has not spoken to the media since his October start at Arizona, to which Shanahan attributed to Lance’s role as a backup more so than his draft status.