San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Wednesday that starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo does not require surgery to repair the Grade 3 sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb that also "pulled off a fleck of the bone" he suffered in last Thursday's loss to the Tennessee Titans that dropped the Niners to 8-7.
The 49ers still control their playoff destiny despite that defeat, and Garoppolo said Wednesday he "definitely" feels he has a chance to start for this coming Sunday's game against the 4-11 Houston Texans.
"I played the entire game with it basically, so it's really just about being able to grip the ball and do the things I normally do, and we're gonna go test those out today, see how it feels and go from there," Garoppolo said of his latest setback, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN. "But I feel confident in it."
Rookie Trey Lance started versus the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 10 when Garoppolo was banged up and completed 15-of-29 passes for 192 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in a 17-10 loss. He also added 89 rushing yards on 16 carries.
Lance handled first-team practice reps earlier this week and will do so whenever Garoppolo isn't available ahead of Sunday's contest.
"It's a torn ligament so it is what it is," Garoppolo added about the injury. "The pain, it's not going anywhere so I know what that feels like, but it's just about being confident and going out there and being able to do what I normally do with the football. We'll see where it gets us, but I feel good right now with it."
The 49ers end the regular season at the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 9.
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