San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was nowhere to be seen during Wednesday and Thursday's practices at the SAP Performance Facility.
The quarterback has been dealing with a calf injury suffered in the first quarter of the Week 4 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and since, there has been questions about his availability heading into the divisional matchup.
When asked on Wednesday about the status of his calf, head coach Kyle Shanahan noted the quarterback is "day-to-day" and his availability depends on how he progresses throughout the week. Although not on the field to open the week, Garoppolo said he is still preparing for Sunday by taking mental reps in place of his physical groundwork.
While the assumption is that No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance is likely to see starting snaps against Arizona, Shanahan anticipates the quarterback taking one more shot at preparing for the contest with his availability in the team's final session of the week on Friday.
"Jimmy told me he wants to give it a go tomorrow, so we'll see him out on the practice field tomorrow," Shanahan said Thursday afternoon on KNBR. "If he looks good, then he'll have a shot. If he can't, then we'll shut him down."
Garoppolo's Week 4 outing was cut short after two quarters when former 49ers defensive lineman Kerry Hyder Jr.'s knee dug into the back of the right calf of the quarterback. At the half, the signal caller noted that he was unable to fully step into his throws which led to Lance seeing the remainder of the contest under center.
In order for Garoppolo to have a chance to start Week 5, the quarterback will have to show he can play through his calf injury and being able to push off his back leg — something the team will be able to assess during Friday's practice.
