49ers May Be Playing It Too Conservatively With Trey Lance's Injury

Trey Lance is allegedly out for the entire 2022-23 NFL season after suffering a foot injury.

Hence, this means that the San Francisco 49ers had no other recourse than to revert to Jimmy Garoppolo.

The 22-year-old already underwent surgery on the injury described as a fibula fracture and ligament disruption, per ESPN's report.

He is now undergoing rehabilitation, and the only thing that the Niners can do right now is wait until the next NFL season before he can return to action.

However, Dr. Kenneth Jung—a foot and ankle surgeon who also serves as a consultant to the Los Angeles Rams—gave a different light on the matter.

According to the physician, the injury that Lance suffered usually just needs 10 to 12 weeks to recover.

If Jung's input is to be considered, this means that there is a possibility that Lance could return near the end of the NFL regular season.

He also added that the injury is pretty common and something that will not affect his mobility.

"There could be a lot of non-medical factors that are playing a part in shutting him down—protecting their investment in the future." Dr. Jung told San Francisco Chronicle. "But usually this injury is about 10 to 12 weeks."

Despite this, the 49ers may have other things in mind as to why they opted to shelve Lance for the entire 2022-23 NFL season.

"I think if things go according to plan as far as his rehab, and the injury is as they have described, you would expect him to make a full recovery," Jung stated.

There are several things to consider in this scenario.

Assuming head coach Kyle Shanahan manages to pull the right strings and place the Niners in a good position in the playoffs, inserting a fully-recovered Lance could hinder how deep they can go into the postseason.

Moreover, there is the worry of possibly seeing the Minnesota native aggravating the injury or suffering something more serious.

Hence, it may make sense why the 49ers would prefer to preserve Lance in the meantime.