49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo Takes Over for Trey Nance, Odds Improve

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49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo Takes Over for Trey Nance, Odds Improve
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Not moving Jimmy Garoppolo in the NFL offseason might have saved the San Francisco 49ers season.  

Trey Lance suffered a broken ankle in Sunday’s 27-7 win over the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan announced the second-year quarterback will undergo season-ending surgery this morning.  

"You feel for someone so bad,” Shanahan said after the win. “It's sad, but you don't have time to sit there and think about it. You've got to get right back to the game and the guys did a real good job of that. I'm really happy about the win, but it's a little somber once you get in the locker room." 

 

Lance was injured with just over two minutes left in the first quarter on a zone-read run. He kept the ball as he faked to receiver Ray-Ray McCLoud and ran for 2 yards before being hit by Seattle linebacker Cody Barton. Lance fell and his ankle appeared to roll up underneath his body.  

Garoppolo, who had his name in trade rumors all offseason and was even linked to the Dallas Cowboys last week after Dak Prescott went down, took over for Lance after he was carted off. Garoppolo completed 13 of 21 passes for 154 yards and one touchdown.  

“It felt good to be back out there,” Garoppolo said after the game. “I feel terrible for Trey. I’ve been on that side of it. This league is tough. Everyone has their share of injuries but that sucks for him. I feel bad for him but he’s our brother and we’ll pick him up." 

Jimmy Garoppolo Returns as 49ers Starter 

Garoppolo led the 49ers to the NFC Championship game last year, making 15 starts during the regular season while throwing for 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions with a QB rating of 98.7.  

Despite bringing the team one game from the Super Bowl, Garoppolo’s offseason was filled with uncertainty and injury. The organization was willing to listen to trade offers after anointing Lance as the team’s starter for the season. Garoppolo also underwent surgery to repair a “capsule issue” in the back of his shoulder. He was not able to throw for a few weeks and did not take part in any of the team’s OTAs and was excused by the team from mandatory minicamp.  

Still, even with the eventful drama, Garoppolo appeared at ease directing the 49ers' offense to three scoring drives. He found Ross Dwelley for a 38-yard touchdown, took advantage of a short field for a 22-yard scoring drive and led a 13-play, 63-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. 

“I’m comfortable here,” Garoppolo said. “The players, the scheme, all that stuff, the locker room, I’m comfortable. I’m familiar with it. I’m not saying I knew this was going to happen but I was ready for this in case it did happen and just want to take advantage of the opportunity.” 

San Francisco 49ers Odds Shorten 

For the second straight week, a team has lost its starting quarterback for an extended amount of time. In Week 1, it was Prescott, who is set to miss numerous weeks. 

FanDuel Sportsbook moved the Cowboys from +2000 to win the Super Bowl to +4500 to highlight his importance to the team.  

However, unlike Dallas, San Francisco saw its odds shorten after the team lost Lance and defeated the Seahawks. Before Sunday, the 49ers were +2000 to win the Super Bowl at FanDuel. Now, San Francisco is listed at +1800.  

The Cowboys remain at +4500 even after upsetting the Cincinnati Bengals 20-17 with Cooper Rush starting in the second game of his career. Rush led the Cowboys on the final drive to set up Brett Maher’s 50-yard game-winning field goal as time expired.