Lost in the euphoria of the 49ers' season-opening win over the Seahawks were a couple of concerning injuries affecting key players.
Tight end George Kittle exited Sunday's 17-13 win over Seattle in the second quarter due to a hamstring injury that will force him to miss three to five weeks, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Kittle's anticipated absence makes him a candidate for short-term injured reserve, Rapoport added.
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan made the initial announcement Monday regarding Kittle, saying he would miss a "few weeks," but said no IR decision has been made just yet.
Kittle isn't the only essential 49er facing uncertainty. Quarterback Brock Purdy is dealing with left shoulder and toe injuries, Shanahan said, and the coach wouldn't guarantee Purdy would be able to play in San Francisco's Week 2 game in New Orleans, saying he's "not sure, has to see how it heals and how the week goes on it."
Purdy suffered the toe injury during the win over Seattle, and the ailment is considered to be the worse of the two, per Shanahan.
If Purdy cannot play, veteran backup Mac Jones is next in line for San Francisco. Jones has recent experience stepping in for a starting quarterback, appearing in 10 games (seven starts) in place of Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville last season and posting an even 8-8 TD-INT ratio in those games.
Considering the challenges they've faced over the last month and in recent years, it wouldn't be a 49ers victory Monday without some unfortunate injury news. Niners fans will hope Kittle recovers swiftly over the next month and a week of treatment gets Purdy right in time for Sunday.
