The San Francisco 49ers have some significant injuries to add to the report following their preseason loss to the Houston Texans. Head coach Kyle Shanahan announced the injuries to the media at his Sunday afternoon conference call. Running back Joe Williams suffered a rib fracture and very bad bruise, and is out until at least Week 1 of the regular season. Offensive lineman Erik Magnuson suffered a serious hamstring injury that will cost him at least six to eight weeks.
Shanahan said the next week or two would be key in deciding whether the players would go on injured reserve with the return designation. The team can return two players, but they also have to wait until after final roster cuts to place those players on IR. If they are placed on IR leading up to the roster cuts, their season is finished.
Quarterback C.J. Beathard suffered a foot sprain in Saturday’s game, and will be re-evaluated tomorrow. Shanahan said a boot likely won’t be necessary, but if Beathard cannot go next week against Indianapolis, Nick Mullens would get bumped up to QB2.