49ers' Trey Lance Expects to Be 100% for Offseason Program After Ankle Injury Rehab

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance said Tuesday that he is planning to be "100 percent" healthy for the team's offseason program, according to The Athletic's David Lombardi.

Lance added that he "expects to be fully cleared" within three to four weeks.

Lance entered the 2022 season as San Francisco's starting quarterback, winning the job over Jimmy Garoppolo. However, he was forced out of the lineup after suffering a season-ending broken ankle in a Week 2 win over the Seattle Seahawks.

In eight appearances over the last two seasons, including four starts, Lance has completed 54.9 percent of his passes for 797 yards and five touchdowns against three interceptions, in addition to rushing for 235 yards and one score.

Because of Lance's injury and limited playing time, there are still a lot of unknowns about his prospects as an NFL quarterback. With such a small sample size, it's hard to judge his performance.

It'll be important for Lance to get back on the field during San Francisco's offseason program ahead of training camp as his starting job is undoubtedly on the line following the performance of rookie seventh-round pick Brock Purdy.

When Garoppolo, who was starting for the injured Lance, suffered a season-ending broken foot in a Week 13 win over the Miami Dolphins, Purdy was thrust into the starting lineup unexpectedly.

The Iowa State product performed far better than anyone expected, winning all five of his regular season starts to help the 49ers finish atop the NFC West with a 13-4 record. He completed 68.6 percent of his passes for 1,098 yards and 11 touchdowns against two interceptions in his five starts, in addition to rushing for one score.

Purdy then helped San Francisco win its NFC Wild Card Round matchup against the Seahawks and an NFC Divisional Round matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. He started Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles, but attempted just four passes before being removed from the game with a torn UCL in his right elbow.

Purdy is expected to undergo surgery and will be sidelined for at least six months with the injury, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. That timeline would have him returning just in time to battle for the starting quarterback job at the start of training camp.

Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle reported Jan. 20 that Purdy had already won the 2023 starting gig with his performance to close out the 2022 campaign. However, it's reasonable to believe Lance will get a shot to get the job back.

While Lance told reporters Tuesday that he hasn't talked to head coach Kyle Shanahan about the team's quarterback plan for 2023, he added that he'll be ready to compete regardless.