SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers will be without quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and All-Pro tight end George Kittle for an extended period of time after they got hurt against Seattle.

A person familiar with the injuries said Monday on condition of anonymity that Garoppolo’s ankle injury and Kittle’s foot injury will sideline them indefinitely. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced their status.

ESPN first reported the severity of the injuries, saying Garoppolo will miss at least six weeks with a high ankle sprain and Kittle will be out eight weeks with a broken bone in his foot.

Garoppolo and Kittle are the latest in a long line of injuries this season that have derailed the defending NFC champions. San Francisco already has been forced to play without defensive ends Nick Bosa, Dee Ford and Solomon Thomas; top cornerback Richard Sherman, No. 1 receiver Deebo Samuel; and running backs Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman and Jeff Wilson Jr. for extended periods of time this season.

The Niners have managed to go 4-4 despite those absences, but now will have to play at least the bulk of the rest of the season without their starting quarterback and top offensive player.

Garoppolo originally sprained his ankle in a Week 2 win at the New York Jets and missed the next two games. He struggled in his first game back against Miami before playing better in wins over the Rams and New England. Garoppolo re-injured the ankle in Sunday’s 37-27 loss at Seattle and was pulled in the second half.

He is completing 67.1% of his passes this season, while averaging 7.8 yards per attempt, with seven TDs, five interceptions for a 92.4 rating. All of those numbers are down from 2019 when he helped San Francisco win 13 games in the regular season and make it to the Super Bowl.

This is the third significant injury of Garoppolo’s career. He hurt his shoulder in New England in 2016 and had a season-ending injury for San Francisco in 2018.

Nick Mullens will replace Garoppolo as starter beginning Thursday night against Green Bay. Mullens played well in one start this season before getting pulled in the fourth quarter of a 25-20 loss to Philadelphia on Oct. 4. Mullens threw for 238 yards and two TDs in the fourth quarter against the Seahawks on Sunday.

Kittle hurt his knee in Week 1 and missed the next two games before returning with a 15-catch, 183-yard performance against the Eagles. He had 37 catches for 474 yards and two TDs in six games this season for San Francisco.

BROWNS: Cleveland defensive star Myles Garrett didn’t suffer any structural knee damage and is not expected to miss any games, a huge for relief for a Cleveland team hoping to make the playoffs.

Coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that the team “dodged a bullet” after an MRI revealed that Garrett wasn’t seriously hurt.

Garrett will have two weeks to get healthy as the Browns (5-3) have a bye this Sunday before hosting the Houston Texans on Nov. 15. Stefanski expects Garrett to be ready for the Texans.

Tied for the league lead with nine sacks, Garrett hurt his knee early in Sunday’s 16-6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Garrett got blocked low on his leg by a Raiders lineman on the first play from scrimmage.

He briefly left the game and was examined in the medical tent on Cleveland’s sideline before returning to action. Garrett was used sparingly the rest of the way by the Browns and was on the field for 32 snaps.

BEARS: The NFL suspended Chicago receiver Javon Wims two games for punching New Orleans Saints safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

Wims was ejected in the third quarter Sunday, after Allen Robinson caught a 5-yard pass from Nick Foles.

On the other side of the field, Wims approached Gardner-Johnson from behind and appeared to reach for his mouth or neck. He threw a right-handed punch to his helmet and then another before both teams joined the scrum, and he wound up at the bottom of a pile.

The penalty against Wims pushed the Bears back to a second-and-20. And Foles got intercepted by Marshon Lattimore on the next play. The Saints went on to win 26-23 in overtime.

TITANS-CHARGERS TRADE: Tennessee traded for cornerback Desmond King for a sixth-round draft pick to Los Angeles.

The Titans made the move a day after a 31-20 loss to Cincinnati. It was their second straight loss after winning their first five games.

Tennessee currently has the NFL’s worst defense on third down and needs help in a banged-up secondary.

A Jim Thorpe award winner at Iowa, King was an All Pro two years ago as a punt returner but has had issues with inconsistent coverage and on punt returns. He was suspended for the Jacksonville game last year for violation of team rules, and King complained on Twitter after a loss to Kansas City about playing time.

Chargers Coach Anthony Lynn said Sunday that King was held out of the Chargers’ 31-30 loss to Denver due to a “team issue.”

SAINTS-49ERS TRADE: The Saints and 49ers agreed to a trade sending linebacker Kwon Alexander to New Orleans in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso and a conditional fifth-round draft choice.

Saints Coach Sean Payton, who confirmed the trade, said the draft pick is conditional because it is tied to playing time. Alexander, who is coming off an ankle injury, will be competing for snaps at outside linebacker with Alex Anzelone, Payton said.

The 30-year-old Alonso has not played this season, which he began on the Saints’ physically unable to perform list as he rehabilitates an anterior crucial ligament tear that occurred during a playoff game against Minnesota last season.

Alexander played for LSU and was a fourth-round draft choice by Tampa Bay in 2015. He played four seasons with the Buccaneers before signing a four-year, $54 million free-agent contract with San Francisco last season.

SEAHAWKS: Seattle defensive lineman Damontre Moore was suspended six games by the NFL for violation of the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Moore will be eligible to return to the Seahawks’ roster following their Week 14 game against the New York Jets.

Moore is in the second stint of his career with the Seahawks. He’s appeared in all seven games this season and has eight total tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery. He’s also played significantly on special teams.

Moore had two tackles, including one tackle for loss, in Sunday’s victory over San Francisco.

The loss of Moore in Seattle’s defensive line rotation should be softened by the expected return of Rasheem Green from injury and the addition of Carlos Dunlap, both of which should happen this week.

JAGUARS: Coach Doug Marrone said Gardner Minshew will miss Sunday’s game against Houston (1-6) with a thumb injury on his throwing hand. Rookie Jake Luton will make his NFL debut.

“I think Jake has a high ceiling,” Marrone said. “I just want to see where this kid’s at. … Might as well look. We might as well see what we have, right? Go ahead and play him and let’s go.”

The Jaguars (1-6) have lost six consecutive games, including three straight by double digits.

Minshew was a sixth-rounder in 2019, the 10th quarterback chosen and the 178th overall selection. Luton was the 189th choice and the ninth QB drafted in April.

Minshew has a strained ligament and multiple fractures in his thumb. He played Jacksonville’s past two games in pain and finally said something following the team’s sixth consecutive loss, a 39-29 setback at the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 25.

JETS: Sam Darnold hopes to be under center for New York next Monday night despite some concern over his sore right shoulder.

The starting quarterback was going to have an MRI and get a second medical opinion on the shoulder as a precaution after Darnold took a hard hit during New York’s 35-9 loss at Kansas City on Sunday. He missed two games last month after spraining the AC joint in the shoulder against Denver on Oct. 1.

“I woke up and it feels better than I thought it would, honestly,” Darnold said during a conference call Monday. “Right now, I’m just taking it one day at a time.”

Darnold scrambled for 5 yards early in the fourth quarter against the Chiefs, but stayed upright — rather than slide — as he absorbed hits from Tershawn Wharton and Tanoh Kpassagnon. The quarterback grimaced as he got up and appeared to be favoring his right arm. He had his shoulder checked out by trainers on the sideline before returning to the game on New York’s next series.

RAIDERS: Tackle Trent Brown remains in Cleveland undergoing tests after being hospitalized following an IV mishap before a game against the Browns.

Brown was sent to the hospital shortly before the game between the Raiders and Browns started on Sunday. NFL Network reported that a pregame IV caused air to enter Brown’s bloodstream.

“I’m very glad to report he’s up and seems to be doing well,” Coach Jon Gruden said Monday. “We’re awaiting some of the results of some of the extensive tests that they did today and yesterday. I don’t have anything to report other than he had an issue. I want to really thank our medical staff, what a job they did in an emergency situation. We’re just happy he’s up and around. Once we get the official word as to what is wrong with Trent, we’ll let you know.”

Brown was supposed to return to action this week after missing one game following a positive test for the coronavirus. He was activated off the COVID-19 list on Friday and practiced that day. He was set to play before the team said he “felt ill” before the game and was deactivated.

CARDINALS: Arizona designated tight end Maxx Williams to return from the injured reserve list and placed linebacker Devon Kennard and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The 26-year-old Williams appeared in all 16 games last season and started 10, but he’s played in just one game this season while batting an ankle injury. He can now begin practicing and the team can add him to the active roster at any time during the next three weeks.

The Cardinals confirmed earlier on Monday that two people had tested positive for COVID-19 during the team’s bye week. Kennard has played in five games this season and started four. He has two sacks. On social media, he wrote that he felt “completely normal so far.”

Murphy is in his second season with the Cardinals and has played in all seven games, starting five. He’s made 24 tackles including two for a loss and one sack.

Copy the Story Link

« Previous

Ravens, Packers among teams with positive COVID test

Next »

College Basketball: Maine’s conference schedules set