The 49ers officially ruled out quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo from their Week 17 showdown with the Houston Texans. He was among the list of inactives San Francisco announced ahead of Sunday’s game.
Garoppolo’s absence means rookie Trey Lance will earn his second-career start. His first one came in a Week 5 loss to the Cardinals in Arizona. In that game Lance completed 15-of-29 throws for 192 yards and one interception. He also ran it 16 times for a team-high 89 yards.
Here’s the full list of inactives:
QB Jimmy Garoppolo (thumb)
LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee)
LB Dre Greenlaw (groin)
S Talanoa Hufanga (knee)
DT Maurice Hurst (calf)
OL Colton McKivitz
TE Tanner Hudson
Not listed in this group is running back Elijah Mitchell, who was listed as ‘questionable’ on the Friday status report. He’s been out since injuring his knee in Week 13 against the Seahawks.
Mitchell this season as a sixth-round pick from Louisiana-Lafayette has rushed for 759 yards and five touchdowns on 165 carries. His yards and carries are both team-highs.