This time last week, counsel was being urged on knee-jerk reactions to the San Francisco 49ers shock defeat at a climate-compromised Soldier Field, noting that new quarterback Trey Lance deserved time to earn his position as starter. Now, Lance no longer has that time.
The 22-year-old suffered a devastating ankle injury after being tackled on a quarterback keeper play up the gut, falling awkwardly under the weight of Seattle linebacker Cody Barton in much the same way as Dallas QB Dak Prescott did when brought down by the Giants' Logan Ryan early in the 2020 season. Ryan’s momentum was sufficient that, when his knee connected with Prescott’s ankle and the Cowboys talisman's cleats caught in the artificial turf at AT&T Stadium, he suffered a 'compound fracture and a traumatic dislocation' of the ankle. Prescott left the field in tears and those who witnessed the incident, either live or on television, will care to forget the gruesome images of his ankle and foot hanging at an unnatural angle to the rest of his leg.
Blame it on the competitive streak possessed by any professional sportsman, but Lance — like Prescott — was immediately compelled to try and stand on his injured leg. Centre Jake Brendel tried to help him, but it was immediately apparent that something serious was amiss. Prescott, meanwhile, was so determined to convince himself that nothing was wrong that he tried to straighten his contorted limb by hand, before having to accept the horrible truth.
