We have a slight update on the status of Dontae Johnson, thanks to a chance meeting Matt Barrows had with him at a local Safeway! The San Francisco 49ers cornerback suffered a leg injury the final day of OTAs two weeks ago, and was unable to participate in the three-day mandatory minicamp. Barrows ran into him while grocery shopping, and got a bit of an update.
Ran into him at Safeway (where I get my best information). Said it was a quad injury; will be ok for training camp. https://t.co/ppi7QhdkZq
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) June 10, 2016
We'll find out for certain what’s up with Johnson’s leg when the 49ers open training camp. If it’s a minor quad injury, he’ll be out there with everybody else. If it’s more serious, they'll place him on the PUP list on day one. Putting a player on the PUP list does not always mean an injury is super serious. It is a procedural move that preserves the right to keep the player on the PUP list. If the player practices even once in training camp, he cannot subsequently be placed on the PUP list.
This is not to say Johnson will end up on the PUP list. I would think a quad injury would heal by then. But it’s at least worth keeping this on our radar so we don't overreact if it does actually happen!