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Injuries to 49ers' Jimmy Garoppolo, Trent Williams not as bad as initially thought

In Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the San Francisco 49ers lost starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams to injury, with both facing the prospect of missing extended time.

Monday brought good news. Injuries to both players were not as bad as initially thought, and the door's not closed on either playing Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

Garoppolo didn't play after halftime due to a calf injury suffered in the first half, opening the door for first-round rookie Trey Lance to run the offense. Test results on Monday revealed that Garoppolo suffered a contusion rather than a tear. The team will reevaluate the injury on Wednesday. If he shows enough progress, he could play this week.

“Definitely better news today than the feeling we had last night," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters, per The Athletic's David Lombardi.

Garoppolo, who's missed significant time in his career to multiple injuries, was frustrated on Sunday and didn't sound optimistic about a quick return.

"It's just tough man," Garoppolo said. "I've been in this situation too many times. It's getting real old."

Expect Jimmy G to start if healthy

If Garoppolo is healthy, expect the 49ers to continue to start him and bring in Lance for situational plays to take advantage of his athleticism. Shanahan has said on multiple occasions that Garoppolo is the team's starting quarterback. But if he can't play, Lance will obviously have more opportunity to prove that he's ready.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) looks on from the bench in the second half against the Green Bay Packers during an NFL football game, Sunday, Sep. 26, 2021 in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Lachlan Cunningham)
There's a chance that Jimmy Garoppolo plays on Sunday. (AP Photo/Lachlan Cunningham) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Williams injury not serious

As for Williams, the 49ers consider him day-to-day with a shoulder injury. The news arrives after Shanahan said on Sunday he was "concerned for Trent."

“That was probably the best news we got compared to what we were worried about initially," Shanahan said Monday. "There was some fluid in there so there are some issues with it, but hopefully he can recover from here before Sunday.”

Shanahan also shared good news concerning running back Elijah Mitchell. After he missed consecutive weeks with a shoulder injury, Shanahan's hopeful that Mitchell can practice without contact restrictions and play on Sunday against the Cardinals.

The news on kicker Robbie Gould was not so good. Gould will miss time with a groin injury, forcing the 49ers to audition replacement kickers this week.