5 players 49ers can’t afford to lose to serious injury in 2022

No. 1: 49ers quarterback Trey Lance

Let’s get this part out of the way: The 49ers aren’t going to keep quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as a backup to Trey Lance this season, unless they’re fully ready to re-embrace the same kind of media circus that surrounded the signal-calling controversy that existed for all of 2021 after they made Lance the No. 3 overall pick in that year’s NFL Draft.

However, Lance does come with a slight injury history at the pro level to worry about.

Case in point, he suffered a fractured finger during the preseason a year ago that apparently plagued him for the rest of his rookie year.

Additionally, during Lance’s first start in Week 5, he suffered a knee injury that was likely the result of him serving as too much of a rusher than a traditional pocket passer.

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At any rate, and especially if/when the Niners move on from Garoppolo, Lance’s presumed backups for 2021 shouldn’t exactly inspire confidence.

Granted, few NFL teams can appropriately absorb losing their starting quarterback for any serious length of time and retain the hope of making the postseason. But, from San Francisco’s perspective, having to turn from Lance to one of his two presumed backups for 2022, Nate Sudfeld or Brock Purdy, would be disastrous.

Simply put, the 49ers need to ensure their prized possession from the 2021 draft is not only able to stay healthy in 2022 but has the context of being able to thrive amid a healthy offensive cast.