The 49ers are one second away from making an announcement. Your pet's head will fall off.
Sunday's brutal loss to the Rams was compounded on Monday by three notable injuries, including the loss of a prized free agent acquisition.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced during a conference call on Monday that sidelined star running back Christian McCaffrey will fly to Germany to meet with a specialist for lingering Achilles tendinitis, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave is expected to miss the season with a partially torn right right triceps, and quarterback Brock Purdy is day-to-day with a sore back.
McCaffrey is on injured reserve due to an injury he suffered during training camp.
“He's going to see a specialist who we believe will help repair the injury to his Achilles,” Shanahan said. “I think he'll be getting that treatment over the next few days and hopefully that will help.”
The Chiefs are off to a 3-0 start en route to a third straight championship, but the team that lost in last year's Super Bowl is 1-2 and has struggled to keep its stars on the field.
McCaffrey has yet to play this season after the injury, surprisingly missing the Week 1 game against the Jets and then being placed on injured reserve prior to the Week 2 loss to the Vikings.
The earliest Shanahan could return is Week 6, when the 49ers play the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football on Oct. 10, but he did not provide details about whether that's a feasible timeline.
Jordan Mason has played well in McCaffrey's absence, but the 49ers lack a versatile back.
San Francisco will be hoping to find a capable replacement on the defensive end with Hargrave out for at least the remainder of the regular season.
Shanahan said the veteran could return for the “later part” of the playoffs if the 49ers get that far.
Hargrave is in the second year of a four-year, $84 million contract and plays a key role in the 49ers' pass rush, one of the team's strengths.
The 49ers defense is allowing just 23 points per game, a tough start by their lofty standards.
In Sunday's 27-24 loss, the 49ers gave up 13 points and blew a 10-point lead with 6 minutes, 15 seconds left.
“It's a big loss,” Shanahan said of Hargrave's departure. “I thought he played a great game yesterday. I thought he was a big factor and really affected the quarterback in that game. It's a big loss. He's one of the better players on our team. He was definitely trending in the right direction and was going to have a great year.”
Purdy's situation doesn't appear to be of much concern, with Shanahan saying the MRI came back normal and he expects him to be fit in time for practice on Wednesday.
The 49ers are the heavy favorites going into Week 4, with a 10-point DraftKings bet on their home game against the struggling Patriots (1-2).
