Jimmy Garoppolo wasn't the only reason the 49ers lost their fourth straight game on Sunday night, but his three turnovers -- including two late interceptions -- helped seal the deal. Now, he might be out as the team's starting quarterback. Asked after San Francisco's 30-18 loss to the Colts if Garoppolo will remain under center for Week 8 against the Bears, coach Kyle Shanahan was noncommittal.
"Well, that ... I would guess so," he said. "You know, I'm gonna watch this tape and see if guys are healthy, first of all, and know where our guys are at. It was good for Jimmy to get healthy enough to play in this game tonight."
Pressed to clarify the 49ers' approach at QB this coming week, Shanahan indicated a switch back to rookie Trey Lance is definitely in the cards, so long as Lance -- who missed Sunday's game with a knee injury -- is healthy.
"I got a whole team to worry about, I'm not just thinking about the quarterback situation right now," Shanahan told reporters. "I'm gonna evaluate everything, see where our team's at, see who gives us the best chance to beat Chicago and see what our options are ... We had two quarterbacks who were hurting this week. Jimmy was able to come back and play. We'll see if Trey can next week. Still not sure yet."
Lance, the team's prized addition and biggest investment of the 2021 offseason, got his first NFL start in place of Garoppolo in Week 5, when the latter was sidelined with a calf injury. While he found success on the ground, he struggled through the air in a 17-10 loss to the Cardinals, which preceded the 49ers' bye. Garoppolo, meanwhile, has produced mixed results in his five starts.
Following the loss, Garoppolo indicated he's not fully recovered from his right calf injury that kept him out against Arizona: "It held up, I'll say. I definitely felt it at times. But it sort of is what it is. I think all the guys out there, we're all playing with something right now."
