Javon Hargrave, last seen celebrating a sack against the Los Angeles Rams Sunday before departing with an injury, will need surgery for a torn triceps and will miss the rest of the season.
It was the latest in an injury wave that’s hit the 49ers, who are 1-2 after a 27-24 road loss to the Rams.
“It’s a big one,” coach Kyle Shanahan told local writers Monday on a conference call. “I thought he had his best game yesterday, thought he was a huge factor. Affected the quarterback in that game. It’s a big loss. He’s one of our better players. He was going in the right direction and he was going to have a big year.”
Shanahan said there’s a remote chance Hargrave could return post-surgery if the 49ers went deep into the playoffs, but it’s more likely he won’t play again until 2025.
Hargrave was the 49ers’ prize free agent signing before the 2023 season, signing a four-year contract worth a maximum of $84 million after starring for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is the latest in an injury wave that includes 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey (Achilles tendinitis) and wide receiver Deebo Samuel (calf strain), tight end George Kittle (hamstring).
McCaffrey, who has at least two more games on injured reserve, has left the country to seek treatment, Shanahan confirmed.
Photos that circulated social media over the weekend showed McCaffrey boarding a plane for Germany.
“I’m not sure what doctor it is,” Shanahan said. “He’ll see a specialist with the Achilles in the next few days and hopefully it will help.”
In yet more injury news, Shanahan said Brock Purdy, a bright spot in the loss, has a sore back and is day-to-day. He underwent an MRI that came back clean, Shanahan said.
The good news is that Kittle, according to Shanahan may return to practice this week and be available to face the New England Patriots Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
20-POINT THRESHOLD
It was a rare loss for the 49ers in that they scored 24 points. Since 2021 when they began a run of making three consecutive NFC Championship games, the 49ers are 38-8 in games where they scored 20 or more points including the playoffs. Conversely, the 49ers are 4-13 when they score less than 20 — the most recent being their 23-17 loss to Minnesota in Week 2.
J.J. AND J.R.
The 11 receptions for 175 yards and three touchdowns by Jennings made him just the second player in franchise history to have 10 or more catches, 175 or more yards and three touchdowns in the same game. Hall of Famer Jerry Rice did it twice — catching 13 passes for 225 yards and five touchdowns against Atlanta from Joe Montana in 1990, and 14 receptions for 289 yards and three scores against Minnesota from Steve Young in 1995.
Terrell Owens narrowly missed in 2001 against Atlanta with 183 yards receiving and three touchdowns with nine receptions.
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SNAP JUDGEMENTS
69: Trent Wiliams played all but two of the 71 offensive snaps. As bad as the day was for the 49ers, at least Williams got back up and walked off the field under his own power and was back in the game after an I.V. for cramps. The rest of the starting O-line played all 71.
61: Tight end Eric Saubert had a career high in snaps subbing for Kittle. His previous high was 49 for Denver in 2021. Jake Tonges had 15 snaps and Brayden Willis 4.
58: Nick Bosa played every defensive snap for the second time in his career. Bosa also played all 63 snaps last Oct. 29, a 31-17 loss to Cincinnati at Levi’s Stadium. He came in listed as questionable with a rib injury.
53: After missing 12 games following surgery for a torn ACL, Talanoa Hufanga missed just five snaps in his 2024 debut.
30: Second-year wide receiver Ronnie Bell had his third-most snaps, getting 31 in Week 3 against the New York Giants last season and 38 (Aiyuk was injured) in the regular season finale against the Rams when the 49ers were resting some starters. He had 10 more snaps than veteran Chris Conley.
6: Dee Winters, who was to rotate in for De’Vondre Campbell in passing situations, departed with an ankle injury in the second quarter and didn’t return.
5: Corner Renardo Green and safety Malik Mustapha each played five defensive snaps in a game where the 49ers were beaten deep repeatedly. Green.
0: George Odum, who started the first two games at safety along with Ji’Ayir Brown, didn’t get any snaps defensively, reverting to his special teams roles with 21 snaps.
More to come on this breaking story . . .