The San Francisco 49ers have been, almost undisputedly, the most dominant team in the NFL during the 2023 season. They have been the Super Bowl favorite throughout most of the schedule and should finish as the #1 seed in the NFC, but there has always been one stipulation attached to their name: they must remain healthy. And as we enter the final two weeks of the season, there may be some ailment issues that the 49ers could be dealing with in the coming days.
49ers Dealing With Injury Issues After Loss To Ravens
49ers’ QB Brock Purdy suffered his second stinger in two games Monday night. “You know how stingers are and it could be worse (Tuesday),” said HC Kyle Shanahan. “But I think it’ll be alright.”
Additionally, LT Trent Williams suffered a groin injury, his backup Jaylon Moore got a… pic.twitter.com/7KYbqzoK1z
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 26, 2023
Before Monday night, the only three losses that San Francisco had suffered so far this year was a stretch when they were missing a couple of key players. Offensive lineman Trent Williams missed back-to-back games with an ankle injury, and explosive wide receiver Deebo Samuel missed the same two contests with a shoulder ailment. But upon their return, the 49ers looked as good as ever, and the team was riding an impressive six game winning streak.
While the upset loss to the Ravens certainly stings, it may be the long term effects that are ultimately more detrimental to the team. San Francisco still controls their own destiny in the NFC and are likely to finish with the #1 seed in the conference, but the last two games could prove tricky if the team is missing any of its important pieces.
Williams, Purdy Will Both Be Monitored This Week
It seems like Brock Purdy just got benched pic.twitter.com/ZYTnJi1J2G
— (@curlyb3tch) December 26, 2023
Williams’ status seems to be the most concerning the morning after the game. He left the game in the third quarter with a groin injury, and never returned to action, as the game was essentially out of hand by that point. The ailment is apparently serious enough that there is a possibility that the All-Pro could miss some time.
Staying with the offense, formner MVP-front runner Brock Purdy is now dealing with an injury issue. For the second straight week, Purdy suffered what head coach Kyle Shanahan is calling a “stinger”, and it was bad enough to keep the struggling quarterback out of the remainder of the game against the Ravens. He was medically cleared to play, but the 49ers chose to roll with backup Sam Darnold during the 4th quarter as the team attempted to mount a comeback.
San Francisco doesn’t have the most difficult of remaining schedules, as they are set to take on the Commanders and Rams to finish off the year. They should be favored in both despite their injury problems, but the dominant, unbeatable team that we’ve seen in recent weeks may have some dents in the armor.