Trey Lance’s first season as the San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback is over after only two games after the 2021 No. 3 overall pick fractured his right ankle in Sunday’s win over the Seattle Seahawks.

Lance’s right leg bent awkwardly when tackled by two Seattle defenders on a designed run on the 49ers’ second drive of the game. He was carted off after having his leg placed in an air cast and quickly ruled out of the contest.

Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the fracture following his team’s 27-7 victory and announced Lance is set to undergo surgery Monday.

“It’s always tough, especially when it’s a big one like that,” Shanahan said. “It’s a very sad moment, but you don’t have time to sit there and think about it.

“We were real happy about the win, but it was a little somber once you got in the locker room and you see him.”

Lance spent his rookie season as the backup to veteran Jimmy Garoppolo but was declared the team’s starter this offseason. The 22-year-old did struggle in last week’s 19-10 road loss to the Chicago Bears, completing just 13 of 28 passes for 164 yards and an interception in a game played in rain-soaked conditions.

Garoppolo replaced Lance in Sunday’s win and threw for 154 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers on 13-of-21 passing.

“I thought he did a real good job coming off the bench, made some real key throws,” Shanahan said. “I’m real proud of Jimmy and how he came in and was ready for the moment and helped us get a win.

Garoppolo did not practice at all during training camp as he recovered from shoulder surgery and spent the summer the subject of trade rumours. The nine-year veteran ultimately remained with the 49ers on a reworked contract that slashed his 2022 salary from $24.2 million to a $6.5 million base, though he can earn close to an additional $9 million in incentives.

The 49ers have had considerable past success with Garoppolo at the helm, as he owns a 31-14 record in 45 regular-season starts since joining the team in a trade with the New England Patriots during the 2017 season.

Garoppolo helped San Francisco reach the Super Bowl during the 2019 season and led the 49ers to last season’s NFC Championship Game. The 30-year-old threw for 3,810 yards and 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions in 15 starts in 2021.

Jimmy Garoppolo was as surprised as everyone else to stay with the San Francisco 49ers for the 2022 season.

Garoppolo was expected to be released by the 49ers before Tuesday's deadline for teams to cut their rosters to 53 players ahead of the regular season but instead agreed a renegotiated one-year deal to stay in San Francisco.

The team had attempted to move Garoppolo this offseason as part of the transition to Trey Lance as their starting quarterback, having traded three first-round picks to select the younger man with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

An offseason shoulder injury for Garoppolo did not help matters, though, and he will instead serve as back-up to Lance after 45 starts for the 49ers and a strong 31-14 record.

"[Returning] really wasn't on my mind to be completely honest," Garoppolo said on Thursday, speaking for the first time since the news broke.

"I was training out here. I had to be here, so I was here for that reason. I was just trying to get my body right.

"I felt very confident out there, and I knew that I was ready to roll. I just needed to figure out where it was. Things kind of fell into place these last couple days."

Garoppolo had considered asking to be released by the team but said it "just wasn't the way I wanted to go".

Now, with clauses to prevent him being traded or tagged, the quarterback will have control of his career beyond 2022.

"Trust me, there was a lot of back and forth going on just with other teams and what I wanted my future to look like," he explained. "This is what I wanted."

For now, Garoppolo will continue to work with Lance, who insists that is no issue.

"It's not my decision; it's an organisation decision," Lance said.

"Jimmy's been on the roster this whole entire time. Obviously, I knew it was a possibility of bringing him back.

"There's been no bad blood at all between me and Jimmy since day one. I was all arms open, excited to have him back."

The San Francisco 49ers believe they have two starting quarterbacks after making the decision to retain Jimmy Garoppolo on a reworked contract.

Garoppolo was expected to be released by San Francisco before Tuesday's deadline for teams to cut their rosters to 53 players ahead of the regular season.

Instead, the 49ers and Garoppolo agreed to a rengotiated one-year that, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, is worth $6.5million in base salary and $500,000 in roster bonuses. Garoppolo has incentives for playing time that could be worth up to $9m.

San Francisco had attempted to trade Garoppolo this offseason as part of the transition to Trey Lance as their starting quarterback. The 49ers traded three first-round picks to select Lance with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

But an offseason shoulder surgery contributed to the 49ers' inability to find a trade partner, and Garoppolo – who worked out away from the team during training camp and preseason – will now serve as the backup to Lance.

The 49ers' decision has led to questions about a potentially awkward dynamic between Lance and a starting quarterback predecessor who has a 31-14 record as a starter with the team.

It is a move that has also prompted observers to talk up the prospect for locker room discord if Lance struggles on a team expected to compete to go deep into the playoffs once again, after reaching Super Bowl LIV and last season's NFC Championship Game with Garoppolo as the starter.

However, speaking in a conference call on Tuesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan dismissed the notion of possible disharmony in the quarterback room and the wider locker room.

"That was the only option," Shanahan said, when asked if it was made clear Garoppolo would be the backup. "And we told that to Trey also.

"Trey and Jimmy have a great relationship. Trey actually likes having Jimmy in the building, and Trey was very grateful to how Jimmy was to him last year. And we feel very strongly from the two people that Jimmy will give that back to Trey this year.

"Trey's our starting quarterback. This doesn't change anything. I just feel it makes us a much better team and doesn't hurt our cap like it would have.

"There aren't 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL. We believe we have two of them on our roster.

"We felt strongly giving the keys to Trey. I can't wait to get him started on our team Week 1. Having Jimmy as a backup makes us feel really good because we have a starting quarterback as a backup.

"The rest of the league had a chance to get him, and I feel so fortunate that they didn't. There's no way that's bad for our team."

Pressed on why Garoppolo practised away from the team if there was a chance of him staying, Shanahan said: "I think that was because the chances, to me, it seemed slim to none, just with the possibility of that happening.

"I remember the first week of training camp, me saying to Jimmy, 'Hey, if you don't like any of these opportunities, if you don't go to the place you want, you can't get the contract you want, we would love to have you here as a backup, in a backup role, and that deal. I want you to know we feel that way, but I also think there's no way you're not going to get something as this goes throughout training camp.'

"Jimmy agreed with that. And so we waited all throughout training camp. Then, I think as he saw other situations out there, and I think, to me, it just seemed like everyone was just waiting for us to cut him so they could see how much they could get him for.

"But once the last Saturday preseason game happened, and no one got injured, then Jimmy thought this was his best situation that he liked. And that's why we were so pumped because it's obviously a better situation for the Niners."

Jimmy Garoppolo will be staying with the San Francisco 49ers for the 2022 season after signing a reworked one-year contract.

Garoppolo had been widely expected to be released by San Francisco before Tuesday's deadline for teams to trim their rosters to 53 players ahead of the regular season.

San Francisco had attempted to trade Garoppolo this offseason as part of the transition to Trey Lance as their starting quarterback. The 49ers traded three first-round picks to select Lance with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

However, a shoulder surgery for Garoppolo complicated the Niners' plans to trade him, with San Francisco unable to find a partner with which to do a deal.

He has worked out away from the team during training camp and preseason but will now serve as the backup to Lance after coming to an agreement on amended terms with the 49ers.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Garoppolo has agreed to a one-year deal worth $6.5million in base salary and $500,000 in roster bonuses. He has bonuses for playing time that could be worth up to $9m.

It is a move that lowers Garoppolo's salary cap number from nearly $27m to just over $8m, giving the 49ers financial flexibility for potential in-season moves and still giving the former New England Patriot the chance to hit the open market in 2023.

Garoppolo arrived in 2017 in a trade with the Patriots. He has a record of 31-14 as a starter for San Francisco and helped the Niners reach Super Bowl LIV in the 2019 season. He and the 49ers were minutes away from another Super Bowl appearance last season, but lost the NFC Championship Game 20-17 to the Los Angeles Rams. 

The 30-year-old completed 68.3 per cent of his passes for 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season.

Garoppolo led the league in yards per completion (12.7) and net yards per attempt (7.68) but was heavily reliant on his receivers creating yards after the catch. Lance, who made two starts while Garoppolo was injured last year, is expected to offer greater upside to the 49er offense with his dual-threat skill set that allows him to make downfield throws that are beyond Garoppolo and excel on the ground as a runner.

The 49ers open the season with a road game against the Chicago Bears on September 11.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has made it abundantly clear that Trey Lance is their man and they are moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo.

Garoppolo, who underwent shoulder surgery in March, led the 49ers to the NFC Championship game, losing 20-17 to eventual Super Bowl LVI champions Los Angeles Rams.

The 30-year-old quarterback is widely expected to depart the 49ers in the off-season, with Shanahan effectively confirming the assumption that 2021 NFL Draft's third pick in Lance will take over.

"We have moved on to Trey," Shanahan told reporters ahead of the 49ers training camp. "This is Trey's team.

"That's nothing against Jimmy. We made that decision a year ago and we're going with that. We're not going to mess around with that anymore.

"Jimmy understands that fully. That's a business decision and that's what makes it not awkward. Jimmy knows we're going with Trey.

"Trey knows we're going with Trey and our team does, and everyone likes both of those guys."

Shanahan along with 49ers general manager John Lynch sat down for a meeting with Garoppolo on Tuesday morning to discuss his future.

Garoppolo has only just been cleared to practice having resumed throwing after his shoulder surgery, meaning opposition teams were reluctant to make trade plans for him until now.

"As soon as we can," Shanahan said about a Garoppolo move.

"Hopefully with everyone being on the same page, hopefully that will happen sooner than later. I think that would be good for him and for us."

Garoppolo threw 20 touchdowns - with his 1.33 per game was ranked 19th in the NFL among quarterbacks - with a 68.3 per cent completion rate for 3,810 yards across the 2021 season.

Meanwhile, Lynch was positive about the future of wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who had requested a trade in April.

"We've had really productive and substantive talks," Lynch said.

"I don't want to get everyone all excited that something is imminent because we're not there yet, but really hopeful that in the near future we'll be able to announce something that is exciting for everyone involved.

"Deebo is here today and we're excited about moving forward with him as part of this team."

Kyle Shanahan still expects the San Francisco 49ers to be able to trade Jimmy Garoppolo but acknowledges "that's not a guarantee".

Garoppolo's departure from the Bay Area was widely expected following the 2021 season, creating space for last year's third overall pick Trey Lance to flourish.

Lance was restricted to only two starts in his rookie season as Garoppolo remained the 49ers' first-choice quarterback.

But having given up three first-round picks to move up and take Lance, the 49ers are ready to make him their main man.

That would mean moving on Garoppolo, yet shoulder surgery in March halted any trade discussions – and Shanahan says talks have not since advanced.

There remains hope the 49ers can do a deal that satisfies all parties, but they are having to bide their time.

"Nothing's changed since that surgery," coach Shanahan said. "Where we were at before that, and then he got the surgery, so everything went on hold.

"I expect him at some time, most likely, to be traded, but who knows? That's not a guarantee.

"It's been exactly on hold when that happened. When he's healthy, we'll see what happens."

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo expects to be traded and wants to join a contender.

The 30-year-old QB's future at the 49ers has been a hot topic of speculation following the side's 20-17 NFC Championship Game defeat to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan declined to discuss Garoppolo's future in the aftermath of their playoffs exit, but it is widely expected Garoppolo will leave the 49ers this offseason with 2021 Draft third pick Trey Lance coming through.

Garoppolo, who has been with the 49ers since 2017, admitted he expects to leave the franchise this offseason.

"I was talking to [49ers general manager] John [Lynch] yesterday about finding the right destination and whatever the future holds, just doing it the right way," Garoppolo said during a Zoom news conference on Tuesday.

"I've got a long career ahead of me. I'm excited about it. I'm excited about the opportunities to come. I just want to go to a place where they want to win.

"That's really what I'm in this game for. I'm here to play football, win football games and as long as I've got that and good people around me, I think the rest will take care of itself."

Garoppolo reinforced his likely 49ers' exit when he signed off from the Zoom call by addressing the side's fans.

"It's been a hell of a ride," Garoppolo said. "I love you guys. See ya."

Garoppolo, who played with a torn ligament in his right thumb for the final five games of the 49ers season, threw 3,810 yards with a 68.3 per cent completing rate for 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this season.

"As far as the whole trade situation, John has been very clear with it," Garoppolo said. "I think they're trying to do the best for me, I'm trying to do the best for them and we're working together.

"We haven't really made too much progress on it but I think things will start happening here pretty quickly."

On his thumb injury, Garoppolo added: "If I can avoid surgery, that's really what I'm hoping for but we'll see."

Kyle Shanahan insisted he would not be making a "farewell statement" to Jimmy Garoppolo in the wake of the San Francisco 49ers' defeat to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game.

The Rams rallied to win 20-17 on Sunday at SoFi Stadium to seal progress to the Super Bowl, where they will face the Cincinnati Bengals at the same venue on February 13.

Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford starred on the one-year anniversary of his trade to the Rams, leading three straight scoring drives to erase a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter, while Cooper Kupp caught two touchdown passes.

Aaron Donald's defensive work proved crucial in pressuring Garoppolo, who had a late, desperate throw intercepted by Travin Howard as the Rams became the first team fighting for a place at the Super Bowl to trail by double digits heading into the fourth quarter to then win a game.

Speculation is swirling over Garoppolo's future. The 30-year-old joined San Francisco for a record-breaking, $137.5million deal in 2017, and led them to the Super Bowl two years ago.

San Francisco are 35-16 when Garoppolo starts and 8-31 when he does not, yet it seems that the 49ers may well part ways with the quarterback, who has a year left to run on his deal. They traded up to three in last year's draft to bring in Trey Lance, who threw for 603 yards and five touchdowns across six appearances this season.

Shanahan, however, refused to confirm that Garoppolo had played his last game for the Niners.

"I love Jimmy," Shanahan said in his post-game news conference.

"I'm not going to sit here and make a farewell statement or anything right now. It's the last stuff on my mind. Jimmy has battled his a** off.

"He battled today. He did some unbelievable things today. I love coaching Jimmy."

Garoppolo completed 301 of his 441 passes in the regular season, for a completion rate of 68.3, ranking him sixth in the league. His 8.64 yards per pass attempt ranked second.

He completed 16 of his 30 passes on Sunday (a completion percentage of 53.3) for 232 yards and two touchdowns, though the sole interception proved crucial.

"[The emotions] hit pretty hard in the locker room," Garoppolo said.

"I think these next couple of days it will really start to settle in a little bit. Emotions are high after a game win or loss, and it's one of those things you've got to be glad it happened, smile from it, and think about the good things.

"We'll see what happens in these next couple days, weeks, whatever, but I love this team. Just the fight and the battle in this team throughout the entire year has been really impressive. I love those guys.

"I've got no regrets from this year."

The Los Angeles Rams rallied from a 10-point three-quarter time deficit to clinch a spot in Super Bowl LVI with a 20-17 NFC Championship Game victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

The Rams will face the Cincinnati Bengals at their home, SoFi Stadium, on Sunday February 13.

Matthew Stafford completed 31 of 45 attempts for 337 yards, combining with Cooper Kupp for two crucial touchdowns, including one in the fourth quarter alongside two Matt Gay field goals to overturn the deficit.

Gay put the Rams ahead from 30 yards with 1:46 left, before Aaron Donald pressured Jimmy Garoppolo into an interception for Travin Howard to practically end the game with 1:09 remaining.

Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr was excellent for the Rams too, with nine catches for 113 yards.

After a scoreless first quarter Stafford found Kupp, who starred with 11 catches for 142 yards, in the corner for the opening TD. But 49ers running back Deebo Samuel, who had seven carries for 76 yards and four receptions for 72 yards, levelled it up with a remarkable catch and run before Robbie Gould's field goal earned them a 10-7 half-time lead.

The 49ers moved 10 points clear when Garoppolo, who made 16 of 30 passes for 232 yards, threw another TD pass in the third quarter for George Kittle, but the Rams would rally with Stafford finding Kupp early in the fourth to narrow the gap.

Jaquiski Tartt inexplicably dropped a routine pick, allowing the Rams to drive forward for Gay to score from 40 yards. Five minutes later he did it again, before the Rams defense clinched the win.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has plenty to prove after a largely unconvincing postseason, and he will certainly not be short of motivation ahead of the NFC Championship Game with the Los Angeles Rams.

The Niners are on the brink of a second Super Bowl appearance in three seasons but are underdogs against the Rams despite winning the last six meetings between the two teams.

San Francisco's status as underdogs is in part tied to the quarterback matchup, which most see as stacked in favour of the Rams and Matthew Stafford rather than the Niners and Garoppolo.

With the 49ers' defense and running game excelling, the onus has largely been taken off Garoppolo during the playoffs, in which he has completed 61.4 per cent of his passes for 303 yards and two interceptions, a tally that could have been significantly higher as he made several dangerous throws during last week's 13-10 win over the Green Bay Packers at a snowy Lambeau Field.

In two wins over the Rams this season, however, Garoppolo has completed 74.5 per cent of his passes for 498 yards, three touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. He has a passer rating of 108.1 across those games.

Garoppolo helped the 49ers come back from 17-0 down in Week 18 to beat the Rams and punch their ticket to the postseason, leading a game-tying drive in the final 90 seconds of regulation with no timeouts to send a thrilling contest to overtime.

The 49ers could face the Kansas City Chiefs again in the Super Bowl having lost to the same opposition on the biggest stage two years ago, when they led 20-10 with seven minutes remaining.

Garoppolo missed a potential game-winning throw to Emmanuel Sanders in Super Bowl LIV, and the prospect of atoning for that defeat is fuelling the Niners' quarterback.

"Since it's happened, it's been a motivator for me," Garoppolo told a media conference of the Chiefs loss. 

"Honestly, it's a feeling that can't be described. It's unlike any other loss I've ever had. And since that moment it's motivated me and it always will going forward.

"But those are the lessons, sports are never going to be perfect. And if you can take those lessons and be better from it, you'll be better off in the long run."

The history books are in favour of the Niners as they prepare to face the Rams for the third time this season.

Since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, there have been 22 playoff rematches between teams where one team won both regular-season contests. The sweeping team has won 14 of those games.

Garoppolo, though, does not make much of what is a new experience for the signal-caller.

"This will be my first time. I've never actually done it," said Garoppolo of playing the Rams for the third time. 

"So, it'll be a little different, but these guys know us, we know them. There's really no secrets or anything like that. So it's about going out there, beating your man and executing. Other than that, it's just football."

Kyle Shanahan insists under-fire San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo deserves more recognition for helping his team to the NFC Championship Game.

The Niners will travel to face NFC West rivals the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday as they bid to reach a second Super Bowl in three years.

They need two straight wins at SoFi Stadium – which will also host the Super Bowl on February 13 – to make history.

The play of Garoppolo has come under scrutiny in the playoffs despite San Francisco's advance.

In their two wins over the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers, he had zero touchdowns and two interceptions, with passing yard totals of 172 and 131 respectively.

His future has been in doubt ever since the Niners traded up at huge cost to select QB Trey Lance at number three overall in the 2021 draft.

But head coach Shanahan believes the public support shown by Garoppolo's teammates such as George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Fred Warner and Nick Bosa speaks volumes for his contribution.

"It shows what our guys think of him," Shanahan said. "And it also shows our guys probably are on social media [seeing the criticism].

"They probably feel a need to stick up for him. I know his social media probably hasn't been that great, so I'm glad they're sticking up for him because what they say is the truth."

Garoppolo also led the Niners to the Super Bowl in the 2019 season, resulting in an agonising loss to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

He could only play in six games last season as the whole Niners roster was decimated with injuries but led the team in 15 regular season contests in 2021.

"Jimmy is one of the main reasons we're here," insisted Shanahan.

"He's done an unbelievable job. People don't give him enough credit. We win as a team, and that's why he doesn't always have the same stats that some of these MVP candidates have.

"But Jimmy's a very good quarterback - he doesn't worry about any of that stuff. He doesn't worry about social media. That's why he's a little similar to me.

"He never really changes, and I think that's what people respect the most about him.

"He's gone through some ups and downs while he's been here, like most quarterbacks do, but he's the same guy. And that's why people, first and foremost, respect him as a human, as a person.

"And then the way that he goes and battles on the field, everyone knows how tough he is, everyone knows how hard he'll compete running with the ball and our guys also know he can throw pretty well too."

Garoppolo, who arrived in a trade from the New England Patriots in 2017, has a similar view about outside critics.

Asked if he had a strategy to cope, he said: "Well, friends, family, they always seem to remind me of those things, but I don’t know.

"Just knowing yourself and knowing who you are plays a big part of that, because if you get lost in it and start believing some of those things, it could take you down the wrong road.

"So I don’t know, I think it’s just about knowing yourself as a player, as a person, and as long as these guys in this locker room have faith in me and belief in me, that is all I really care about."

The Niners have won six straight games over the Rams in their regular-season series, with a dramatic comeback 27-24 overtime victory over LA in Week 18 getting them into the playoffs as a wildcard team.

But it is NFC West champions the Rams who go into the contest as narrow favourites having knocked off defending Super Bowl champions the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional Round.

The 49ers, meanwhile, won 13-10 in Green Bay despite failing to score an offensive touchdown.

They were just the ninth team ever to win a playoff game in that way - NFL teams were previously 8-103 in playoff games without a scrimmage touchdown.

Avoiding turnovers is going to be critical. The Rams are 8-0 this year when Matthew Stafford does not throw an interception, while the 49ers are 7-0 when Garoppolo does not throw a pick.

The San Francisco 49ers have been handed a twin boost ahead of Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams with Deebo Samuel and Jimmy Garoppolo taken off their injury report.

Samuel took a helmet to his knee late in the 49ers' win over the Green Bay Packers but was a full participant at practice on Wednesday.

Quarterback Garoppolo has been battling shoulder and thumb complaints, but he also did not appear on the injury report.

"I'm sure it's pretty good," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday.

"I hear about the thumb more than the shoulder, so that's off the injury report now, so I guess we're good."

Left tackle Trent Williams is in some doubt for the Rams game due to a right ankle issue sustained against the Packers.

"In Trent's mind, there's no way he is not playing," Shanahan said. "That's why he was so crushed last game because he believed he would and his body wouldn't let him.

"Hopefully we'll have some better luck this game. But I know he believes he's playing and so do I, so we'll see how that pans out as the week goes. If he can, he will."

Kyle Shanahan had an inkling that the San Francisco 49ers' special teams would prove pivotal in their shock divisional round win over the Green Bay Packers.

The 49ers gained seven points on special teams and saved three on a night where Robbie Gould's walk-off field goal earned a 13-10 triumph to send San Francisco to the NFC Championship Game.

Green Bay had led for most of the game after AJ Dillon's first-quarter touchdown but the 49ers drew level late when Jordan Willis blocked Corey Bojorquez's punt allowing Talanoa Hufanga to collect the loose ball and run into the end-zone.

The 49ers regained possession with 3:25 to play, with the excellent Deebo Samuel helping drive them into field-goal range before 39-year-old Gould nailed his 45-yard attempt on the final whistle.

"We thought our special teams had an advantage in this game," head coach Shanahan said. 

"We thought they had an opportunity to possibly win us the game. And to be able to say that and to actually come to fruition was huge for those guys and huge for our team."

Gould, who has now succeeded with each of his 20 career playoff field-goal attempts, ensured his boot stayed hot in snowy conditions at Lambeau Field and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo paid tribute to his team-mate, with a little pun thrown in for good measure.

"I always trust Robbie. He's as good as gold, man. He always is," he said.

Garoppolo added: "It's dangerous, man. When a team gets hot, it's dangerous.

"So we've just got to keep this thing going, focus on next week now, and keep this thing rolling.

"It took everything. We knew it was going to. I mean, it was just offense, defense, special teams - everybody stepping up and doing their part. I wouldn't have it any other way."

The stars certainly seemed to align for the 49ers, who lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV, with Jimmie Ward having earlier blocked a 39-yard field goal attempt from Mason Crosby on the final play of the first half. Had he made the kick the Packers would have led 10-0.

Victory means the 49ers are headed to their 17th conference championship appearance, the most for any team since the conferences were forged following the 1970 merger.

With the Cincinnati Bengals having beaten the Tennessee Titans earlier in the day, it also meant it was the first time since 2010 both number one seeds lost in the divisional round in the same season.

George Kittle said the 49ers proved they are a "gritty" team to make it this far.

"This team has been through a lot," the tight end said. "We've been through a lot of adversity. 

"We've dealt with a lot. We've lost games by making mistakes. We've won games dirty. This is a gritty team. It's a salty team, and we just keep bouncing back."

The Green Bay Packers had a special teams' nightmare before Robbie Gould's final-whistle field goal clinched the San Francisco 49ers a spot in the NFC Championship Game with a 13-10 win in snowy conditions at Lambeau Field on Saturday.

The Packers had led for most of the game after AJ Dillon's first-quarter touchdown but the 49ers drew level late when Jordan Willis blocked Corey Bojorquez's punt allowing Talanoa Hufanga to collect the loose ball and run into the end-zone.

The 49ers regained possession with 3:25 to play, with Deebo Samuel helping drive them into field-goal range before 39-year-old Gould nailed his 45-yard attempt on the final whistle.

Samuel had 10 carries for 39 yards along with three catches for 44 yards and two kick returns for 59 yards, while 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo completed 11 of 19 passes for 131 yards with one interception.

San Francisco will face either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game, while it is season over for Aaron Rodgers' Packers.

Rodgers completed 20 of 29 passes for 225 yards but with no touchdowns, with running back Dillon scored their TD after a 10-play drive.

The Packers might have led 10-0 at the main break after Adrian Amos' pick, with Rodgers finding Aaron Jones for 75 yards although his run was curtailed. In the same drive, Green Bay kicker Mason Crosby had his 39-yard attempt blocked by Jimmie Ward on the half-time whistle.

The 49ers got on the board with Gould's third-quarter field goal, before the late drama with the veteran sealing their passage into the NFC Championship Game.

Jimmy Garoppolo appears set to be available for Saturday's NFC divisional round clash with the Green Bay Packers despite an injury scare, according to San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.

The 49ers quarterback was not listed on the franchise's injury report on Thursday and is expected to play through a sprained right shoulder and thumb.

San Francisco had more good news with linebacker Fred Warner also not on the injury report after a sprained right ankle while defensive end Nick Bosa is close to clearing concussion protocols to mark his return.

"He threw the ball great. He's looked as good as he did the week before," Shanahan said about Garoppolo.

"Jimmy's been playing through some things. But that's why he's full go because he's good enough to go and we don't treat it any differently."

Garoppolo had been added to the 49ers injury report on Monday with Shanahan revealing he had a "slightly" sprained throwing shoulder from the 23-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

The QB offered no guarantees on Tuesday and was limited in practice that day but was listed as a full participant on Wednesday and Thursday.

"It's playoff football," Garoppolo said earlier in the week. "We know what time it is and there ain't no time to rest right now."

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