Jimmy Garoppolo Likely To Play Sunday Despite Thumb Injury, Says He's 'Confident'

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo may be starting on Sunday after all.

On Tuesday, it was reported that rookie quarterback Trey Lance could make his second NFL start on Sunday against the Houston Texans depending heavily on the status of Garoppolo’s thumb.

But Garoppolo said Wednesday he's testing his injured thumb but that he's confident in his abilities — he said he has a torn ligament and the pain isn't going anywhere. "I feel good right now with it," he said.

Garoppolo suffered a thumb injury on his throwing hand in the second quarter of Thursday’s loss against the Tennessee Titans, which affected his performance in the remainder of the game.

The team said Garoppolo’s absence in the team’s first practice after the loss gave third-overall pick Lance first-team reps during Monday’s session, with the opportunity to see more playing time should the starting quarterback miss multiple practices.

Garoppolo said Wednesday was his first day back to practice and he will see how it feels, but there's an excitement in the locker room and "playoff atmosphere" within the team.

He said at the end of the day, he will do what's best for the team.

"As the quarterback, you're supposed to be out there," Garoppolo said. "As a quarterback, this is my team and I'm supposed to be out there and that's kind of the mindset I've always had."

The 49ers (8-7) will host the Houston Texans (4-11) in Sunday's Week 17 matchup before traveling to face the Los Angeles Rams (11-4) to wrap up the regular season.

Follow Meg Turner on Twitter @Megnturner_ and Instagram @Megnturner.

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