The 49ers will use the early portion of the week devising game plans for both of their quarterback options for the team's critical Week 18 game.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo sat out Sunday's win over the Houston Texans with a torn ligament in his right thumb. If he is healthy enough to grip the ball and throw with confidence, he will start, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday on a conference call with Bay Area reporters.
Otherwise, rookie Trey Lance will start Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. The 49ers could need a victory to gain a playoff spot. And the Rams could need a victory to win the NFC West and host a first-round playoff game.
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Garoppolo sustained a Grade-3 ligament tear in the 49ers' Dec. 23 game against the Tennessee Titans.
"I've been made aware that surgery is a possibility but as of right now, he would not need it," Shanahan said.
Garoppolo threw on the side on Wednesday to test his thumb. He appeared to be optimistic that he would be able to play against the Texans. But, then, he did not feel as well on Thursday, as Lance continued to take all of the practice snaps.
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Garoppolo did not practice Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. He did not throw on Saturday, either.
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Lance played well in the 49ers' 23-7 victory over the Texans on Sunday. He completed 16 of 23 pass attempts for 249 yards with two touchdowns with one interception.
His passer rating of 116.0 was the fifth-best effort from a rookie quarterback this season in a winning effort. New England's Mac Jones has put together three of the top-five games, with Houston's Davis Mills' 130.6 rating against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16 ranking No. 2.
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