49ers QB Trey Lance posts cryptic social media message directed at newly minted Titans GM Ran Carthon

The Tennessee Titans hired Ran Carthon as their next general manager

Carthon succeeds Jon Robinson, who parted ways with Tennessee during the season. Carthon most recently worked as the San Francisco 49ers’ director of player personnel.

The Titans announced the hiring on Wednesday. 

Shortly after that news broke, injured 49ers quarterback Trey Lance posted a cryptic message to his Instagram story with three “fingers crossed” emojis along with a picture of Carthon.

Lance suffered a season-ending ACL injury in Week 2. The team then turned to veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for several weeks until he went down with a foot injury Dec. 4.

Garoppolo later underwent additional testing the showed the quarterback did not suffer a Lisfranc injury, which would have required season-ending surgery. 

NEW CARDINALS GM MONTI OSSENFORT OUTLINES REBUILD PLANS, EXPECTATIONS OF PLAYERS: ‘EGO WILL NOT BE TOLERATED’

The team then turned to rookie quarterback Brock Purdy for the remainder of the regular season. Purdy led the 49ers to a wild-card playoff win over the Seahawks last weekend. Purdy has yet to lose a game since stepping in as the emergency fill-in and seems to be on the fast track to be San Francisco’s 2023 opening day starter.

Despite the team trading multiple draft picks to select Lance in the first-round of the 2021 draft, the second-year quarterback’s future in the Bay Area is uncertain. But the 49ers may not be eager to let Lance go.

The 22-year-old has previously expressed well wishes to teammates in social media posts that featured “fingers crossed” emojis. But, it’s unclear if Lance was simply wishing Carthon well or hinting that he wanted to play in Tennessee.

Garoppolo somewhat surprisingly agreed to return to San Francisco this season, but he will hit free agency this offseason.

Carthon’s new team, the Titans, could move on from veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill and his expensive contract. 

The Titans drafted Malik Willis in the third-round last year, but he did not show enough to indicate he’s the long-term answer at quarterback.

Carthon is tentatively scheduled to be introduced at a news conference in Tennessee Friday.