Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I guess this Kawhi Leonard controversy isn’t going away any time soon.
In today’s SI:AM:
Bad news in the Bay Area
Last season was a disappointing one for the 49ers. After advancing at least as far as the conference championship game in four of the previous five seasons, the Niners limped to a 6–11 finish as several key players dealt with injuries that either left them unavailable or limited their effectiveness. Unfortunately for San Francisco, it’s beginning to look like this year could be more of the same.
Quarterback Brock Purdy and tight end George Kittle are already dealing with injuries after the opening week of the season. Kittle has been placed on injured reserve with a right hamstring issue, meaning he’ll miss at least the next four games. Purdy is dealing with toe and shoulder injuries, and coach Kyle Shanahan said “it’s a long shot” that Purdy will play on Sunday against the Saints.
The toe is the more serious of the two issues Purdy is dealing with, Shanahan said, adding that it’s similar to turf toe. The other injury is to Purdy’s left shoulder, his non-throwing shoulder and not the same one he hurt last year. Shanahan also said “it’s possible” that Purdy could miss multiple games. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Thursday morning that he is expected to be out for two to five weeks.
The injuries to Purdy have the Niners in the market for another quarterback, Shanahan said. Mac Jones is in line to start Sunday’s game in New Orleans, but he’s the only other quarterback currently on the active roster. Former UFL quarterback Adrian Martinez is on the practice squad and is the only other healthy quarterback currently under contract. Veteran Mike White worked out for San Francisco on Tuesday, and it’s unclear if the team will bring in other free agents before Sunday.
Losing two of their most important offensive players this early in the season is an inauspicious start for the Niners, even if Kittle and Purdy manage to come back quickly. The team dealt with numerous high-profile injuries last year that derailed its season. Kittle and Purdy each played 15 games, but were also hampered by lingering injuries for much of the year. Christian McCaffrey was limited to just four games because of Achilles tendinitis and a PCL sprain. Brandon Aiyuk tore multiple ligaments in his knee in the seventh game of the season. Starting guard Jon Feliciano was injured in training camp and missed the whole season. Elijah Mitchell, McCaffrey’s backup, also missed the season with an injury suffered in the preseason. On the other side of the ball, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave needed season-ending triceps surgery after the third game of the season.
Every NFL team has to deal with injuries, but some teams are lucky enough to have their top players spared. That hasn’t been the case for the Niners lately, and now they’re tasked with trying to have a strong start to the season while playing Mac Jones at quarterback for multiple weeks. They better hope the rest of the roster manages to stay healthy.
The best of Sports Illustrated
- Today’s Digital Cover is Albert Breer’s look at Roger Goodell’s 20-year reign atop the NFL and what the future might hold for him.
- Who better to weigh in on Aaron Rodgers’s win over the Jets than an expert on revenge? Greg Bishop spoke with Yale professor James Kimmel Jr. about what makes us seek revenge and how Rodgers got his.
- Week 2 of the NFL season begins tonight. Here are our experts’ picks for all the games.
- Albert Breer’s latest mailbag leads with a look at how Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has managed to find success with a revolving door of quarterbacks.
- Three men’s college basketball players were banned by the NCAA for gambling violations. Pat Forde has all the details on the allegations.
- As the World Cup creeps closer, Ben Steiner looks at the differing approaches of two of the host nations: the U.S. and Canada.
- The NFL is looking into new allegations of domestic violence by the estranged wife of Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill.
The top five…
… things I saw last night:
5. Carlos Correa’s 200th career homer.
4. Nick Kurtz’s 30th homer of the season. The Athletics first baseman has the AL Rookie of the Year all but locked up.
3. Ramón Laureano’s effortless home run robbery.
2. A diving stop by Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford in the ninth inning of a tie game.
1. Leo Rivas’s walk-off homer for the Mariners in the 13th inning. Seattle has won five in a row and is now just one game behind the Astros in the division.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as SI:AM | 49ers Dealing With Significant Injuries Again After Last Year’s Rough Season.