San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance is two months removed from his surgery to repair the fibula fracture and ligament disruption in his right ankle, a season-ending injury sustained during Week 2.
Lance was on the sidelines with his teammates at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, watching his 49ers defeat the Arizona Cardinals 38-10. The quarterback is expected to be ready for the 2023 season.
Trey Lance made the trip to CDMX 🙌 pic.twitter.com/xSnwrX06o4
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) November 21, 2022
General manager John Lynch joined KNBR on Wednesday morning and provided an update on the second-year quarterback.
"It is true; he is out of his walking boot," Lynch told Markus Boucher and Marcus Thompson. "And sometimes you'll see guys with that particular injury, it's just a tough one, right away, the mobility, or lack thereof, after you've been in a boot, but Trey is moving really well."
Lance is currently on injured reserve. If the 49ers eventually activate defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw from injured reserve, that will be the seventh of the team's eight allowed activations this season. While head coach Kyle Shanahan previously shot down the idea of a return this season for Lance, fans seeing the injured quarterback walking around well can't help but speculate about an early return.
Could Lance be healthy enough to be activated during the playoffs, assuming the 49ers continue to win football games?
"I don't see that as a possibility," Lynch responded. "He did a number on his ankle. He'll be fine long-term, but that's a big ask to get back this year. We're just really encouraged by the way it's responding and by the way Trey has been working to try to make it as good as possible.
"Trey's doing a great job, going to every meeting, supporting his teammates. He's well-liked. He and [QB] Jimmy [Garoppolo] have a tremendous relationship. Jimmy, when he was the backup, did everything he could to make things as good as possible for Trey, and Trey is doing the same thing in turn.
"Those guys are doing great, Trey is moving extremely well, and we're encouraged by his rehab and the way it's going."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.