It hardly seemed possible, but the 49ers left Sunday’s game with even more key players hobbled with health concerns.
During the 29-27 defeat to the Chargers, San Francisco lost Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Staley and receiver Dante Pettis to knee injuries. Last week, the team lost franchise quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a season-ending ACL tear, and a month ago lost top running back Jerick McKinnon to the same injury.
The good news: The injuries don’t appear to be ACL tears, based on preliminary testing, a team spokesman said. The 49ers were also forced to deal with knee injuries to rookie first-round pick Mike McGlinchey and prized free-agent addition Weston Richburg along the offensive line, though both players returned to the game noticeably hindered.