Week 7 is setting up to be a return to normalcy for the 49ers under center.
San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters he is "pretty optimistic" about Jimmy Garoppolo being good to go against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night, per The Athletic's David Lombardi. Shanahan added it appears rookie backup Trey Lance -- starter in San Francisco's most recent game, a 17-10 loss to Arizona -- will not be able to play in Week 7.
Garoppolo spoke after Shanahan on Wednesday and said his calf injury is feeling "really good." He'll get a chance to see how it responds after Wednesday's practice.
Garoppolo helped the 49ers to a 2-1 start in their first three games (which was very nearly a perfect 3-0 if not for the heroics of Aaron Rodgers) before he exited in San Francisco's Week 4 loss to Seattle due to the calf injury. Lance replaced Garoppolo in that game and the entirety of Week 5's defeat before suffering a knee injury that will likely keep him from participating against Indianapolis.
The Garoppolo-Lance dynamic has been the constant focus of 49ers coverage since the team traded up to No. 3 to select Lance in April's draft. It received a boost with Garoppolo's latest injury in a long list of them, which was a primary motivator for San Francisco's decision to select Lance.
The official succession wasn't expected to take place in 2021, and a temporary replacement only lasted a week and a half. We'll see if Garoppolo can keep his job by staying healthy and available for service, starting Sunday night.
