The San Francisco 49ers are 2-0 against NFC West opponents after their 24-9 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on "Monday Night Football." As fun as Victory Tuesday may be, the team will have to turn the page on their big win as they head into a short week of practice and back-to-back road games on the East Coast. As the team prepares for their upcoming matchup versus the Carolina Panthers, they will have to game plan without at least a couple more of their players who sustained significant injuries in Monday night's contest.
Injury updates from head coach Kyle Shanahan
The 49ers head coach confirmed initial impressions of offensive lineman Colton McKivitz's knee injury—the third-year lineman suffered an MCL sprain in the second half of Monday night's game. McKivitiz made his fifth-career start against LA and was tasked with filling in for All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, who is currently sidelined with a high ankle sprain.
"He's going to be out a while," Shanahan said. "It's very similar to what Elijah (Elijah Mitchell) and Azeez (Azeez Al-Shaair) have."
No timetable was given for the offensive lineman but recovery time for the other two 49ers players working through MCL sprains is estimated to be eight weeks. Moving forward, Shanahan will be reevaluating the starting left tackle position.
"We'll see how this week plays out," Shanahan said. "I really haven't discussed it yet, but most likely it'll be Jaylon Moore, but we know Dan's (Daniel Brunskill) always an option."
Defensive lineman Arik Armstead is back on the injury list after returning to game action following a one-week hiatus. The defensive lineman was previously dealing with a foot injury and now, per Shanahan, is being evaluated for a foot and ankle injury. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings is day-to-day with an ankle sprain.
Jason Verrett and Jimmie Ward are eligible to return to practice
The return of the veteran cornerback and safety has been long awaited, and per the head coach, the duo is set to return to practice on Wednesday.
Verrett began the 2022 season on the PUP/Reserve list as he continued to recover from an ACL tear he sustained in Week 1 of last season. In 2020, Verrett played in 13 games for San Francisco and closed out the year with 60 tackles, seven pass breakups and two interceptions.
Ward was placed on the Injured Reserve list with a hamstring injury ahead of Week 1. Last season, he recorded 77 tackles, four passes defended and two interceptions.
