Trey Lance to make first NFL start on Sunday against Cardinals

Trey Lance will make his first career NFL start on Sunday, and the third overall pick will do so against a very formidable opponent.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced on Friday that Jimmy Garoppolo has been ruled out for Week 5. Garoppolo suffered a calf injury in the team’s Week 4 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. With the veteran out, Lance will start against the 4-0 Arizona Cardinals.

Lance has played some this season, though he has not yet started a game. The rookie went 9/18 for 157 yards and two touchdowns in relief of Garoppolo last week. He also threw for a touchdown in Week 1 and rushed for a score in Week 3.

The 49ers have seemed intent on keeping Lance in a limited role for his first NFL season, but they are now dealing with a situation similar to the one we saw with the Chicago Bears. They’re coming off two straight losses, and it would be difficult to send Lance back to the bench if he plays well and leads San Francisco to an important divisional win over the Cardinals.