LAS VEGAS — For the second time in about three months, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance has had right ankle surgery.
The Niners announced Saturday that Lance had surgery Friday to remove hardware that was causing irritation in his ankle.
Lance was injured in a September 18 win against the Seattle Seahawks. He underwent surgery the next day to repair what the team called a “ruptured fibula and ligament damage” in his ankle.
The latest surgery was a result of an ongoing problem from that initial procedure, the team said in a statement.
“Due to the location of the fracture, the required placement of the hardware was near a tendon in Lance’s ankle,” the statement said. “It was found during the rehab process that her proximity was causing irritation in his ankle. After consulting several experts, the decision was made to have the hardware removed to prevent future ankle problems.”
According to the 49ers, Lance will continue his rehab process and is expected to make a full recovery in time for organized team activities in the spring.
The 11-4 Niners have their third starting quarterback, rookie Brock Purdy, en route to their Sunday meeting with the Las Vegas Raiders. Jimmy Garoppolo, who replaced Lance, is recovering from a broken left foot.