The San Francisco 49ers had a bit of a scare when it was announced DeForest Buckner was out of the game following what looked like a foot injury. Apparently it was the same ankle that cost him some practice time last week.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan went into a bit more detail during his conference call (courtesy of 49ers PR):
It’s the same ankle. It’s a low ankle sprain which won’t be a long thing, but I’d be surprised if he played this week versus Denver. He keeps doing the same thing over and over again, so we’re going to have to rest him a little bit, let him get fully healthy and I expect him to be doubtful here for Denver.
It would be nice to see a fully powered 49ers defense for a series or two in Week 2, but it seems like Buckner will be on the sidelines for it. Thankfully it’s a low ankle sprain and not a high one. If all goes well Buckner will be ready to go by Week 1 of the regular season, maybe sooner.
In the meantime, this will give interior linemen further down the depth chart more of an opportunity. Quinton Dial, Chris Jones, and Ronald Blair all could find themselves getting more significant playing time. And I would not be surprised to see Solomon Thomas enter the game as a starting nickel defensive tackle.