SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Whereas the San Francisco 49ers have been ravaged by damage within the opening weeks of the season, that they had largely averted the massive, season-ending kind of illnesses. Till Sunday.
Defensive deal with Javon Hargrave suffered {a partially} torn proper triceps in Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams, an damage that can require surgical procedure and is prone to carry his 2024 season to an finish.
“It is a massive [loss],” coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned. “I assumed he had his finest recreation yesterday. I assumed he was an enormous issue, actually affected the quarterback in that recreation. … He is one in all our higher gamers. He was undoubtedly getting into the appropriate path and was going to have a giant yr.”
Hargrave wasn’t the one damage replace of word from Shanahan on Monday. Quarterback Brock Purdy got here out of the sport with again soreness and although an MRI got here again clear, he shall be day-to-day this week, in accordance with Shanahan.
As well as, operating again Christian McCaffrey flew to Germany over the weekend to go to with a specialist in regards to the persistent Achilles tendonitis that landed him on injured reserve Sept. 14, Shanahan mentioned.
After the loss to the Rams, Shanahan and the Niners had been hopeful that Hargrave was simply coping with a bruised triceps. Additional imaging revealed the tear Monday, leaving Hargrave in want of a restore. Via three video games this season, Hargrave had seven tackles and a sack.
With Hargrave out, the Niners are prone to look in-house for his alternative, with Shanahan pointing to the follow squad the place Evan Anderson or T.Y. McGill are attainable choices to be promoted to the roster.
Kevin Givens or Jordan Elliott are the chances on the lively roster to step right into a beginning position with finish Yetur Gross-Matos able to transferring inside on passing downs. Kalia Davis, who’s on injured reserve with a knee damage, can be near returning, Shanahan mentioned, although that is not anticipated to occur this week.
Shanahan additionally indicated there’s an out of doors likelihood Hargrave may return however acknowledged the Niners would wish to make a deep postseason run for that to be attainable.
“Whenever you get surgical procedure that is normally a couple of months at the least,” Shanahan mentioned. “If there was an opportunity, it must be late within the playoffs.”
McCaffrey’s journey to Germany comes a little bit greater than every week after the Niners positioned him on injured reserve. Shanahan first introduced that McCaffrey was coping with a calf damage Aug. 6. That ailment saved McCaffrey out for the remainder of coaching camp, however he returned to follow main as much as the Week 1 recreation towards the New York Jets.
That week, Shanahan additionally revealed that McCaffrey was coping with the Achilles difficulty and it was that, extra so than the calf, that was bothering him. McCaffrey was then a shock scratch towards the Jets regardless of practising on a restricted foundation and being listed as questionable earlier than that recreation.
The next week, McCaffrey once more took half in follow however had what Shanahan known as his “worst day” Sept. 12. Shanahan acknowledged the following day that McCaffrey was a candidate for injured reserve and the crew made that transfer official Sept. 14.
As a result of he is on injured reserve, McCaffrey should miss 4 video games earlier than he is eligible to follow or play once more. He is missed two video games already however should sit out at the least subsequent week’s recreation towards the New England Patriots and the Oct. 6 recreation towards the Arizona Cardinals.
The earliest McCaffrey may return can be Oct. 10 on the Seattle Seahawks, although Shanahan has mentioned “no one is aware of” when he’ll really be again due to unpredictable nature of his damage.
McCaffrey is not the primary athlete to journey overseas to take care of damage. Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods and others have gone to Germany for remedy through the years.
“I am undecided what physician it’s,” Shanahan mentioned. “I do know he’ll see a specialist that he believes can assist him along with his Achilles course of and I feel he is doing that over these subsequent few days. Hopefully it is going to assist.”
The damage information wasn’t all dangerous for the Niners on Monday. Shanahan mentioned the Niners are hoping to get tight finish George Kittle, who missed Sunday’s recreation with a hamstring damage, again to follow this week and cornerback Charvarius Ward (knee, hamstring) is “good to go.”
After having good damage luck of their Tremendous Bowl run final yr, the Niners have been hit a lot tougher up to now this season.
“Final yr simply with a few of our essential guys, we had been very lucky they did not miss too many video games,” Shanahan mentioned. “This yr has been completely totally different to start out out in order that’s been actually powerful. I attempt to keep optimistic with it that each one of them are finally going to come back again, however that in all probability modified with Hargrave in the present day in order that was a tricky tablet to swallow there. However we undoubtedly have not had the luck that we had final yr.”