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A few hours after 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh indicated the team may have dodged a bullet with Ray McDonald's biceps injury, McDonald himself provided an update on his status. According to McDonald, he has suffered a partially torn bicep tendon in his right arm. McDonald plans to start on Sunday, and will not require protective gear beyond a normal elbow pad.
McDonald told the media that he will have surgery in the offseason, but he feels he can make it through the season as is. He said he wasn't sure if it would wear down over the course of the season (although that would seem logical). The first comparison will be to Justin Smith, but according to Barrows article, the triceps tendon apparently has a bigger impact on arm strength.
Given the injury, I do have to wonder if Tony Jerod-Eddie (and potentially Tank Carradine in a few weeks) will find themselves getting even more snaps. Wear and tear would seem to be an issue for the rest of the season, so we'll see how the team manages McDonald's workload.