Niners' Trey Lance suffers ankle injury, carted off vs. Seahawks

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance was taken off the field on a cart Sunday after injuring his right ankle.

Lance went down after running the ball on the second drive of the game against the Seattle Seahawks. A cart came out on the field and Lance's leg was put into an air cast before he was taken off. The 49ers immediately announced he would not return.

Lance's teammates and several Seahawks players paid him respect before he left the field and was replaced by former starter Jimmy Garoppolo.

Lance had taken over the starting job this season from Garoppolo after being drafted third overall in 2021. San Francisco traded three first-round picks to move up nine spots to take Lance, making a major investment in him.

But Lance spent his rookie season mostly on the bench watching Garoppolo as the Niners went all the way to the NFC title game before losing to the Rams.

San Francisco planned to trade Garoppolo this offseason but was unable to after he underwent shoulder surgery in March.

Garoppolo remained on the roster but didn't practice with the team at all during training camp, throwing on his own on a side field, before agreeing to return as a backup on a reduced contract this season.

Instead of the nonguaranteed $24.2 million base salary Garoppolo was owed this season, he will get a $6.5 million fully guaranteed base salary, $500,000 in roster bonuses and the chance to make nearly $9 million more in playing time bonuses.

Now he could have a chance at a more substantial role depending on how long Lance is injured. Garoppolo didn't take long to get into form, throwing a 38-yard TD pass to Ross Dwelley on his first full possession.

Lance was 2 for 30 for 30 yards passing and had three carries for 13 yards before leaving the game. This is the second time Lance has gotten hurt in his brief time in the NFL. He injured his knee after his first start last season against Arizona when Garoppolo was hurt.