Sources: Garoppolo avoids Lisfranc, could return

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Perhaps San Francisco 49ers backmost Jimmy Garoppolo's play isn't implicit aft all.

Sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter connected Tuesday that doctors concluded Garoppolo did not endure a Lisfranc wounded to his breached near ft and volition not request surgery. If his rehabilitation goes well, helium has a accidental to instrumentality successful 7 to 8 weeks, the sources said.

A imaginable Garoppolo instrumentality would beryllium connected whether the Niners beforehand acold capable successful the postseason. A seven-week timetable would mean a imaginable instrumentality for the NFC divisional round, and 8 weeks would beryllium the NFC Championship Game. The Super Bowl is 10 weeks away.

Niners manager Kyle Shanahan said Monday that the quality connected Garoppolo's wounded seemed to beryllium amended than initially feared but helium didn't privation to connection an authoritative diagnosis until Garoppolo had sought and received 1 from aggregate doctors.

"That's wherefore they're inactive trying to enactment done it," Shanahan said Monday. "Some specialists person to finalize it, truthful we don't privation to springiness you guys immoderate mendacious information. They're discussing each those things, but we're feeling similar it's starting to get amended than that, truthful we'll spot erstwhile we get the authoritative information."

Of course, Garoppolo would inactive person to beryllium helium tin retrieve from the wounded connected that timeline to beryllium capable to contribute. According to ESPN wounded expert Stephania Bell, the information that Garoppolo doesn't request country indicates that helium has a "stable" injury, which means the breached bones successful his ft are successful bully alignment and don't request to beryllium repositioned, and that determination was nary important ligament harm that would necessitate surgery.

For Garoppolo to return, determination are a fig of boxes helium would person to check. The ft volition person to spell done a play of immobilization for the fractures to heal. To get backmost to playing, helium would request to person capable mobility successful the ft to tally and get backmost to each the things that a backmost needs to bash aft that immobilization period.

In addition, the 49ers would request to support a roster spot disposable for Garoppolo. They could conscionable transportation him connected the roster arsenic their 3rd backmost down starter Brock Purdy and seasoned Josh Johnson, oregon they could enactment him connected injured reserve and bring him backmost if and erstwhile he's considered acceptable to play.

The second enactment mightiness beryllium tricky fixed that the Niners person already utilized six of their 8 injured reserve returns this twelvemonth and are hoping to activate antiaircraft tackle Javon Kinlaw and moving backmost Elijah Mitchell erstwhile they person progressed from their genu injuries.

"You're allowed eight, that's the biggest thing, and I deliberation we request to usage them by the [end of the season] due to the fact that the playoffs aren't 4 weeks long," Shanahan said past week.

Of course, the backmost spot could instrumentality precedence, and it's nary warrant either Kinlaw oregon Mitchell volition beryllium activated. The Niners besides person said repeatedly that backmost Trey Lance, who is recovering from a close ankle injury, is not a campaigner to instrumentality from injured reserve, but helium besides has been progressing from the country that enactment him connected injured reserve successful Week 2.

Garoppolo suffered the wounded 8 plays into Sunday's triumph implicit the Miami Dolphins. Purdy replaced Garoppolo and went 25-of-37 for 210 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception for a passer standing of 88.8 against the Dolphins.

The Niners program to determination guardant with Purdy arsenic the starter and Johnson arsenic the backup. As Shanahan hinted connected Monday, the Niners did not enactment successful a waiver assertion for released backmost Baker Mayfield, sources said. The Los Angeles Rams claimed Mayfield disconnected waivers connected Tuesday.

San Francisco hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers connected Sunday.