Trey Lance injury updates: 49ers QB almost healthy, poised to start?

The 49ers are eagerly anticipating Trey Lance returning from the broken ankle he suffered last September, and signs are pointing to him being ready to go.

If Hollywood wanted to write a drama about the kind of quarterbacking drama the San Francisco 49ers have had the last two seasons, no one would pick it up because it wouldn’t be believable.

From the soon-to-be-traded-except-he-won’t-be-traded-and-eventually-he’s-hurt-again Jimmy Garoppolo to what transpired with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Brock Purdy as “Mr. Irrelevant,” going from irrelevancy to a household name up through the Niners’ run into the NFC Championship game, it’s not hard to see how a miniseries about San Francisco’s quarterback room would be a bit too far-fetched.

Except it’d be true.

One of the should-be main characters in that drama only resurfaced in the relevancy department after Purdy’s ascent, quarterback Trey Lance, who went from a forgotten commodity not long after he suffered his own broken-ankle injury last September to being questioned as Purdy’s possible backup in 2023.

But that narrative was bucked quite a bit when Purdy suffered his own elbow injury in the championship-game loss versus the Philadelphia Eagles, one that’ll force the rookie upstart to miss six months.

Meanwhile, Lance is nearing the time when he’ll be fully recovered from his ankle injury.

Trey Lance provides update about his injury and recovery

The 49ers players and staff cleared out their lockers on Tuesday, and players also met with members of the media.

While Lance hasn’t played since Week 2, he was nevertheless on hand and provided Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News with an update on his injury status and subsequent recovery:

If a four-week timeline is realistic, it means Lance will have nearly two months for a ramp-up period leading to the opening of the Niners’ offseason program.

Purdy, meanwhile, won’t be back until the start of training camp toward the end of July.

Trey Lance, not Brock Purdy back as 49ers’ starting QB?

It’s not hard to see the questions that’ll arise from all of this.

A free agent to be, Garoppolo isn’t expected to return after enduring two awkward seasons with the franchise and amid all those rumors of being traded. Plus, San Francisco now has two starting-caliber options in Purdy and Lance who are both on cheap rookie contracts.

Barring the 49ers going after a big name like Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers, which is possible but not likely, it’ll come down to Lance versus Purdy heading into camp.

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Based solely on how much of an impact he had down the stretch and helping engineer the Niners’ playoff run, Purdy was well in the lead.

Before his own injury, of course.

Now, Lance has a shot at reclaiming the starting role for the Niners by getting those extra workout periods before training camp begins. Combine that with understanding just how much San Francisco invested in him by trading up for the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and it might be the best way for both Lance and the 49ers to justify the action.

Provided Purdy doesn’t immediately reclaim the job upon his own eventual return, of course.