SANTA CLARA (Calif.) -- As the San Francisco 49ers lose four consecutive games, outsiders continue to call for Trey Lance, a rookie quarterback, to replace Jimmy Garoppolo.
It remains to be seen when Lance will take over Garoppolo's role, but the Niners coach Kyle Shanahan seemed more uncertain about Garoppolo's quarterback situation Sunday night than at any other time this season.
Shanahan was asked by Shanahan if Garoppolo would start against the Chicago Bears next week, following a loss of 30-18 to the Indianapolis Colts.
Shanahan stated, "I would guess so." "I'll be watching this tape to see if the guys are healthy, first."
Shanahan was then asked how he decided who would be his Chicago starting quarterback.
Shanahan stated, "I have a whole team of to worry about." "I don't just think about the quarterback situation right at this moment. I will evaluate everything, assess where we are, determine who has the best chance of beating Chicago, and then decide what options I have. We still have a lot to do.
Shanahan meant "see what our options" and was referring to Garoppolo's and Lance's health, who have not been in the best of health over the past few weeks.
Garoppolo, who had a strained right calf from his match against the Seattle Seahawks in Oct. 3, was able to return to the Colts.
Lance was Garoppolo's replacement in the loss to Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 10, but he injured his left knee during that game. He was inactive for Sunday night.
Garoppolo was able use the team's Week 6-bye to get well enough to play against Indianapolis. Shanahan is still unsure about Lance's health. Although the 49ers expected Lance's injury to last for a few weeks, he didn't participate in practice last week. He might need more time to heal.
Garoppolo still has to deal with his injuries. Garoppolo, who completed 16-of-27 passes for 181 yards, a touchdown, and a fumble Sunday night, acknowledged that his calf was still bothering him, but he claimed it wasn't hindering him.
Garoppolo stated, "It held up." It was definitely felt at times. It's all part of what it is. We're all playing with something, guys. It's the end of the season.
The 49ers need to find quick answers to their problems, not only with the quarterback situation. Sunday's loss to San Francisco was the fifth consecutive to the Colts since 2005. It also dropped the 49ers four games behind Arizona in NFC West.
Many of the same problems that plagued the Niners this season continued to plague them on a windy, wet night at Levi's Stadium. The Niners were penalized for a failure to convert on third down (1-11), a negative-2 turnover difference, and continued violations of defensive pass interference penalties. Five defensive pass interference penalties were issued to the Niners by the Colts. Three of those penalties were accepted by San Francisco for 97 yards.
All of this led to a somber locker room after the game, with Shanahan admitting that he deserved the criticisms that came with his team's poor start.
Shanahan stated, "You lose four games in succession, I'm the coach of this team. I expect it and deserve it."
