49ers' Trey Lance Has 2nd Surgery on Ankle Injury After 'Irritation' from Hardware

The San Francisco 49ers announced in a statement on Saturday that quarterback Trey Lance had a second ankle surgery on Friday.

The rest of the statement said something.

"The second procedure was performed to remove hardware that was inserted during the initial surgery in September. Due to the location of the fracture, the required hardware placement was close to a tendon in Lance's ankle. During the rehab process, their close proximity proved to cause irritation in his ankle. After consulting with multiple experts, the decision was made to have the hardware removed to prevent future issues in the ankle. Lance will continue his rehab process and is expected to make a full recovery and return for OTAs."

Lance broke his fibula and tore his deltoid and syndesmotic ligaments in his first game as the 49ers' starter.

It was a huge disappointment for the second-year player, who was dubbed the quarterback of the future after the Niners traded three first-round picks and a third-round pick to get him.

Lance has thrown for 797 yards, five touchdown and three interceptions, completing just 54.9% of his passes, in eight career games. He has also scored a touchdown. He has a 2-2 record in his starts.

The biggest storyline for the team in an otherwise excellent season has been the health of the quarterbacks. Jimmy Garoppolo broke his foot in a game against the Miami Dolphins.

Brock Purdy was elevated to the starting role, and the Niners have responded by winning their last three games with him at the helm. Purdy has thrown for 912 yards and eight scores.

Sources say that Garoppolo is out of the walking boot but not fully walking yet. He is a long way from being able to play. If the 49ers make it to the Superbowl, he could serve as a backup.

This is the team for the moment. So far, it's been good for the seventh-round pick.

Come next season's training camp, the Niners may find themselves with a quarterback competition.