Injuries always have a significant effect on the NFL season, but some teams are bearing the brunt of absences more than others.
The San Francisco 49ers are in the midst of what could be classed as an injury crisis, with the team announcing Monday that star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL), ruling him out for the rest of the season.
The injury occurred during San Francisco’s 28-18 Week 7 loss against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, dropping the Niners to 3-4 on the season. The game was a rematch of February’s Super Bowl LVIII, where the Chiefs came out victorious in overtime to win their second straight Vince Lombardi Trophy.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had initially said after the game that he feared the injury was a torn ACL and confirmed the diagnosis on Monday.
“I talked with him last night, called him at his house,” he told reporters, via the team. “I haven’t seen him today, but he was, he was hurting and just bummed out, you know, as exactly how you’d expect.
“But, BA is a strong dude and a spiritual guy, and he believes everything happens for a reason. So, he’ll be all right, but he was definitely a little down last night. I was just telling him how bad I felt for him and let him know we’re all here for him through this.”
The team also announced that former first-team All-Pro receiver Deebo Samuel has been hospitalized with pneumonia and is dealing with fluid in his lungs. Samuel played only four snaps against Kansas City and did not touch the ball before leaving the game. Shanahan said postgame that the wideout was having difficulty breathing during the game.
While Samuel’s status for Sunday’s primetime matchup against the Dallas Cowboys is currently unclear, it is yet another worry for the Niners, whose offense has taken hit after hit this year. Superstar running back Christian McCaffrey is still on the injured reserve and yet to play this season, while receiver Jauan Jennings missed Sunday’s game.
Tight end George Kittle is also reportedly dealing with a sprained foot and is considered day-to-day. Rookie WR Ricky Pearsall could see himself flying up the depth chart, despite having only just returned from injury himself after being shot in the chest during an attempted robbery ahead of the season.
Bucs facing multiple injuries
However, San Francisco is not the only team juggling multiple injuries. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw their top two receivers leave Monday night’s 41-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Tampa Bay is now 4-3 after the defeat.
Five-time Pro Bowler Mike Evans was seen clutching his right hamstring after an incomplete pass in the second quarter and was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the matchup.
Things went from bad to worse for the Bucs late on. With just under a minute left in the game and Tampa Bay down by two scores, Chris Godwin caught a pass from QB Baker Mayfield before being tackled by Baltimore’s Roquan Smith. Godwin stayed down and was eventually carted off the field.
The injury appeared to be serious, with players kneeling around Godwin and consoling him as he left the game.
“He’s got an ankle (injury), early indication is that it’s dislocated,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles told the media postgame. “It doesn’t look good.”
“It absolutely sucks,” Mayfield added. “It sucks for our team, but Chris deserves better than that. He’s an unbelievable guy, unbelievable teammate. Obviously, you guys have seen he’s been playing extraordinary this year … got a heavy heart right now.”
Tampa Bay will await assessments on both Evans’ and Godwin’s injuries as it prepares for a Week 8 clash against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.