The hits just keep coming.
On Monday, 49ers quarterback Trey Lance underwent successful surgery at Stanford Hospital to repair a fibula fracture and ligament disruption. He is expected to be ready for the start of next season, and should be recovered well ahead of that time.
While Kyle Shanahan told reporters he had not talked to Lance yet — he was planning to after his Monday conference call — he said some players had already visited him in the hospital.
Shanahan also provided updates on two other 49ers who suffered injuries, in tight end Tyler Kroft and running back Ty Davis-Price.
Kroft suffered a sprained MCL and Davis-Price had a high-ankle sprain. Both are expected to miss multiple weeks.
This now leaves the 49ers with just two of the five running backs they kept on the roster after initial 53-man cuts. Trey Sermon was waived. Elijah Mitchell suffered a sprained MCL and is expected to miss about eight weeks. Now there’s Davis-Price. With Lance done for the year, too, it’s a major blow to the 49ers’ run game.
Just Jeff Wilson Jr. and undrafted rookie Jordan Mason are healthy. The 49ers have Marlon Mack on the practice squad and will likely promote him and add another back after workouts this week.
San Francisco worked out the following running backs last week, including a familiar face:
- Tevin Coleman
- Devonta Freeman
- Godwin Igwebuike
- Nate McCrary
- La’Mical Perine
- Abram Smith
One positive which could both help the situation in the run game and amend the loss of Kroft, is that George Kittle has a better chance to return this week.
Shanahan said he had a chance to play on Sunday, but the team made the right choice to sit him.
“I’m very glad with the decision we made and he should have a much better chance to be good to go this week,” Shanahan said.