© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The 49ers are not getting healthier. While it seemed like everything was lining up for some key returns, the injury bug has not dissipated in the slightest. On Monday night, that was abundantly clear as the 49ers saw five players exit the game without returning, plus an unforeseen Joe Staley injury which could sideline him yet again.

Ronald Blair’s season is over, D.J. Jones out for at least a week

Blair was consistently in the mix for the 49ers’ defensive line, and was the team’s third or fourth-best edge rusher (depending on whether Arik Armstead was slotted on the interior). He made a tremendous open field tackle on a designed quarterback run by Russell Wilson, at the cost of his season.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday that Blair had suffered a torn ACL in his right knee, confirming the worst fears the 49ers had last night when he limped off the field and around the locker room on crutches. There is no one-for-one replacement for Blair on the roster at the moment, but Shanahan said the team will have a workout tomorrow for edge rushers. That workout, according to Matt Barrows, will include Damontre Moore, who was on the wrong side of the roster bubble at the end of the preseason, despite an impressive showing.

Kyle Shanahan said the 49ers will hold a workout for edge rushers tomorrow after Ronald Blair (ACL) was lost for the season. One of the players flying in for the workout is Damontre Moore, who spent the summer with the team and looked very good in the preseason.

— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) November 12, 2019

In addition to Blair, starting nose tackle D.J. Jones re-aggravated a groin injury. He’ll undergo an MRI, but is expected to be out for at least a week. That almost certainly means that Jullian Taylor, who has been inactive for all but three games this season, will be active next Sunday, and the 49ers’ will make an addition to the roster.

One possibility outside of the players being worked out is Kentavius Street, the 2018 fourth-round pick who is on injured reserve, where he spent all of last season. While not ruling him out, Shanahan described him as more of an interior presence.

Staley may be out yet again

For all the injuries that we knew of, Staley wasn’t one of them. He is now.

Shanahan revealed Tuesday that Staley had sustained what he termed a finger fracture/dislocation which he is getting a second opinion on. Surgery is in play, but if Staley does have surgery, Shanahan confirmed it would not be season-ending.

This is Staley’s second fracture of the season, after fracturing his left fibula in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He would be replaced by rookie Justin Skule, who surprised with consistently solid performances for the previous six-plus weeks.

Kittle, Sanders and Hurd; What’s up on the pass-catching front?

As was obvious by the fact that he didn’t play, George Kittle’s injury is significant. He spent all of Monday night in the 49ers’ box rather than on the field, so, as Shanahan put it, he wouldn’t have to stand for the three-plus hour game. Shanahan said he’d have a chance to play next week but that it wouldn’t come into focus until later in the week.

“Kittle has a much bigger injury [than Robbie Gould],” Shanahan said. “But Kittle is a little bit of a different bird, we’re never going to decide on Kittle too early in the week. He’s always got a chance with some of the stuff he’s been able to go through here in these last couple years.”

As for Emmanuel Sanders’ rib cartilage issue, Shanahan said that he is viewed as day-to-day and will likely be a game-time decision. While Shanahan hasn’t abandoned hope for Jalen Hurd (stress reaction in back) to open his practice window this week, he seemed to expect it would be postponed.

“I’m still hoping for him to but you know we evaluate at the end of each week and based off of what I saw from him at the end of last week, I’m not expecting him this week,” Shanahan said. “We’ll see how he comes in here tomorrow, but no, I know he didn’t get enough requirements last week to start him for practicing so I’m not expecting him now.”

Other injury notes: Witherspoon, Breida, Al-Shaair and Gould question marks, Richburg “OK”

Matt Breida, like with D.J. Jones and his groin, re-aggravated an ankle sprain. He is currently viewed as day-to-day.
Azeez Al-Shaair is in concussion protocol with no timeline.
Robbie Gould’s status is still in question. Here’s Shanahan’s description of the injury: “Because he’s a kicker, it’s hard to tell… So we got to get him out here and test him on his kicking here this week and we’ll see how it goes. But I mean it’s still the same as last week. It’s still a maybe.”
Ahkello Witherspoon is expected to continue to practice this week (was limited last week with a right quad strain and foot sprain that he’s still recovering from). Shanahan said that he will get his job back from Emmanuel Moseley if he is healthy, but will need to practice for a full week to prove that.
Weston Richburg entered the locker room during the first half after extensive examination of his left hand, which had the glove cut off it before being wrapped several times. He returned in the second half and Shanahan confirmed he’s “OK” and is not expected to miss any game time