:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/17033003/20120728_mje_bs4_068.0.jpg)
In case you are not following the 49ers beat writers on Twitter (and you should be), we've got some tough news today. According to their reports, linebacker Darius Fleming injured the same knee on which he suffered a torn ACL last summer. Fleming was working with special teams, when he tried to change direction and went down. Matt Barrows has the first report posted, and provided some details on the aftermath. The 49ers haven't said anything, so we're left with speculation, but it does not sound good:
A testament to how popular he is in the locker room - most of the squad huddled around him while trainers tended to his knee. Defensive lineman Ian Williams, a teammate of Fleming's at Notre Dame, sat next to a dejected Fleming for the rest of practice.
Hopefully it's not as bad as it sounds, but it doesn't appear we can be overly optimistic. Fleming tweaked the knee during the offseason workout program, and opened training camp on the PUP list before quickly being activated the first day of practice.
Ricardo Lockette also reportedly suffered a hip injury. There is no word on the seriousness of that, so we'll have to wait and see. The players have tomorrow off, so we'll see if he is back practicing when things pick back up on Tuesday.
Speaking of that, the beat writers were tweeting that Kyle Williams sat out today's practice. Yesterday, he reportedly tweaked his hamstring on a touchdown catch, and did not participate in subsequent 11-on-11 work. Williams tweeted that he was fine, but it is not surprising the 49ers would want to take the precaution of a day off. With tomorrow's day off, a pair of days to rest the hamstring is the safe and smart play.
Per Matt Maiocco, Lockette "hobble[d] through practice" and Marlon Moore "came up lame after running a deep route [and] also remained in the remainder of practice."