The San Francisco 49ers lost wide receiver Dante Pettis to a knee injury in the second quarter, but it appears they might have dodged a bullet. After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that the trainers believed it was an MCL injury.
The first thought whenever a player goes down awkwardly with a knee injury is that there is ACL damage. The trainers were checking out the knee on the field, and he subsequently walked off the field with two trainers helping him. Pettis finished the day with three receptions for 21 yards.
Pettis will likely undergo an MRI on Monday, and if it is confirmed as an MCL injury, that would seem to give him plenty of recovery time for the 2019 season. The level of the tear could range from something that would cost him 2-4 weeks to something that would cost him several months. Either way, it would seem like he should be good for the team’s offseason workout program.
The 49ers also lost wide receiver Marquise Goodwin to an injury on the final offensive play. Shanahan said it is something with his Achilles but it is not serious. We’ll find out his status for this coming week, but the 49ers could be without both Goodwin and Pettis in the season finale against the Los Angeles Rams. If that happens, Richie James could find himself getting some additional playing time. The team could promote Max McCaffrey or Jordan Smallwood from the practice squad.