The San Francisco 49ers' injury situation worsened Sunday. Two wide receivers, Mike Evans and Demarcus Robinson, suffered setbacks during the team's Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins. One appears to be minor, while the other could keep a key veteran receiver sidelined for some time.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to reporters after the game and provided several injury updates.
Demarcus Robinson likely to miss time
The 49ers fear Robinson suffered a high-ankle sprain that could sideline him for an extended period.
"Unfortunate there," Shanahan said.
Running back Christian McCaffrey believes losing Robinson would be a big blow.
"That's a huge loss," McCaffrey said. "He's such a great player. It seems like he's always open. He's great after the catch. I'm praying that it's not a serious injury, and I know he'll come back ready to go, though."
Fullback Kyle Juszczyk also hopes Robinson's injury isn't too serious and that the veteran receiver can return soon. Meanwhile, tight end George Kittle praised Robinson's ability while acknowledging that the injury news "stinks."
Kittle stated, "He's one of the best route runners I've been around. He's always open. It's crazy. And he catches everything. It doesn't help that D-Rob might be out for a little bit."
Good news on Mike Evans' injury
The good news is that Shanahan sounded less concerned about Evans' hip injury. That's encouraging for the veteran receiver, who signed with the 49ers in free agency to provide a reliable boundary and red-zone target.
When asked if Evans' injury appeared serious, Shanahan responded, "No, it didn't. It can always change tomorrow, but if the game was different, he would've been able to come back in."
Evans finished the game with three catches for 54 receiving yards.
Will the 49ers need to add another receiver?
Robinson is the third wide receiver to suffer a significant injury setback, joining Ricky Pearsall, who is out for the season after undergoing knee surgery, and rookie De'Zhaun Stribling, who is expected to miss about 10 weeks with an ankle injury.
Shanahan was asked if the 49ers will explore bringing in outside help.
"We'll see," the coach said. "I mean, it has been unfortunate. It was big losing Stribling last week. You guys know how big it was losing Ricky over the summer. And then losing D-Rob today was huge.
"Christian Kirk's got a couple of weeks before he can come back. But we've still got a group of guys out there that we have played with, that have done things.
"I'm sure we'll have to add somebody, whether it's to the practice squad or to the roster, but those are things we'll start discussing tonight, and hopefully, have an answer by Wednesday."
Is Brandon Aiyuk an option?
Brandon Aiyuk remains on the reserve/left squad list. Interestingly, Shanahan was asked whether the wide receiver could help the 49ers address their growing shortage of healthy receivers.
The coach didn't hesitate to respond, "No."
Brock Purdy weighs in on wide receiver injuries
Quarterback Brock Purdy isn't panicking about losing so many pass-catching targets. After all, he is coming off a game in which he completed 20 of 22 pass attempts for 287 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for another score.
Clearly, the 49ers can manage while some key contributors are absent. Still, Purdy acknowledged that the situation is far from ideal.
"Yeah, it sucks," Purdy said. "These are all extremely great playmakers that, looking at our roster in OTAs and camp, it's like, oh shoot, we can do some damage. And then, yeah, Ricky goes down, Strib, and now D-Rob.
"For me, in the game, it's like, all right, D-Rob's out, [Jacob] Cowing's up, [KhaDarel] Hodge is up. I have a lot of trust in those guys. I thought they came in and did a great job today and stuff. So obviously, we'll watch the film and try to figure out, like, all right, where are we at as an offense with our skill players and stuff, too. And I know Coach will put us in a great position with that.
"But yeah, it sucks, because those are my guys and those are our playmakers, and for them to go down early in the season like that, it's tough."
Other 49ers injuries
Cornerback Jack Jones exited the game with a foot injury but returned. Rookie defensive end Romello Height also returned after dealing with a hand injury.
Unfortunately, rookie defensive tackle James Thompson Jr. exited the game with an ankle injury and did not return.
When asked if Thompson suffered a high-ankle sprain, Shanahan said, "That's what it looks like, but can't confirm it yet. But him and D-Rob both look that way."
More info on: Jacob Cowing, Mike Evans, Romello Height, KhaDarel Hodge, Jack Jones, Kyle Juszczyk, Christian Kirk, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Ricky Pearsall, Brock Purdy, Demarcus Robinson, De'Zhaun Stribling, James Thompson
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