The San Francisco 49ers’ main goal of the preseason is to get through it without any major injuries.
That’s a key reason why the club didn’t feature its starters until the preseason finale Friday night against the Las Vegas Raiders. Unfortunately for San Francisco, two first-quarter injuries could make their biggest fear a reality.
When the second quarter started, the team announced defensive ends Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos are questionable to return with knee injuries.
It’s unclear when Gross-Matos got hurt. Floyd went down late in the first quarter when defensive tackle Maliek Collins fell onto his leg as both players went to the ground. The latter was back on the sideline after briefly going to the locker room.
Injuries to any player would have been bad. There’s an extra layer of dread that comes with injuries on the defensive line.
That unit doesn’t have the same depth they’ve had in the past, particularly at defensive end. Nick Bosa sat out Friday’s game. Floyd figured to be the starter opposite Bosa, and Gross-Matos was in line to play a significant role as a versatile DL who played on the end and at tackle.
Behind them the group is exceedingly thin with second-year DE Robert Beal Jr. the main contender for snaps in the rotation. After Beal it’s Alex Barrett, Sam Okuayinonu and Jonathan Garvin. That trio isn’t likely to provide nearly enough support to make up for any absence for Floyd and Gross-Matos.
The good news for the 49ers is they have a shade over two weeks until the regular-season opener. Both players have been available throughout camp so they should be able to hit the ground running if they can suit up for Week 1.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan after the game told reporters both players suffered knee sprains. Floyd and Gross-Matos are scheduled for MRIs Saturday.
