What It Means:

Garoppolo has a third-degree sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing thumb, but he does not need surgery. The 49ers will see how Garoppolo feels at practice throughout the week before making a decision for Week 17. Garoppolo reportedly did not throw during the portion of Wednesday's practice that was open to the media. Trey Lance will make the start for the 49ers if Garoppolo is unavailable.

numberFire's models currently rank Lance as the QB14 for Week 17 if Garoppolo is out. In his only start this year, Lance ran the ball 16 times for 89 yards and finished with 15.6 FanDuel points despite not having any touchdowns. The 49ers have the seventh-worst pass defense in the NFL, according to our adjusted team metrics.