Young quarterback's place will be taken by Jimmy Garoppolo

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance left the field on a crash cart in the first quarter of Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks with a right ankle injury.

After leaving the field on the crash cart, the medical report stated that Lance suffered a fractured ankle that will require surgery and he will miss the remainder of the season for San Francisco.

The play happened late in the first quarter when Lance was stopped after a carry by two Seahawks players, but his leg was caught and leveraged, knocking his ankle out of place.

Lance was treated on the field and left with assistance after a splint was placed on his right foot. The 49ers immediately announced that he would not return.

Lance's teammates and several Seahawks players wished him a speedy recovery, while control of the game was taken over by backup Jimmy Garoppolo, stoking controversy over the starting job dispute with the Niners.

Lance had assumed the starting job this season from Garoppolo after being drafted third overall in the 2021 Draft. San Francisco traded three first-round picks to move up nine spots and take Lance, making a big investment in him. This would be just his second start for San Francisco, after a woeful debut in Chicago the week before.

Lance spent his rookie season on the bench watching Garoppolo as he led the Niners advance to the NFC Championship game.

San Francisco planned to trade Garoppolo this offseason, but couldn't after he underwent shoulder surgery in March and was unable to practice with the team during training camp before agreeing to return as a backup on a reduced contract this season.

He subsequently negotiated a reduction in his non-guaranteed base salary from $24.2 million as a starter to a fully guaranteed base salary of $6.5 million, $500,000 in roster bonuses and the chance to earn nearly $9 million more in playing time bonuses.

Now he could regain the starting job, depending on how long Lance is injured. Garoppolo didn't take long to get healthy, throwing a 38-yard TD pass to Ross Dwelley on his first full possession.

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

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