The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday to stay undefeated, but also lost Kwon Alexander for the remainder of the season.
49ers LB Kwon Alexander has torn pec, out for the season. (via @RapSheet) pic.twitter.com/CLdbXGXtcp
— NFL (@NFL) November 1, 2019
Alexander left late in Thursday’s game and did not return. He underwent an MRI on Friday morning, which confirmed head coach Kyle Shanahan’s fear: a torn pectoral. While there was initial optimism that the injury wasn’t too serious due to Alexander not having his arm in a sling and showing some range of motion, Shanahan admitted he was still “nervous” about his MRI results.
“He’s been a great addition for us. It’s going to be a tough loss,” Shanahan told ESPN. “Hopefully it’s not for the whole season, but if it is, we’ll deal with it. I’m really hoping it’s not.”
Alexander signed a four-year, $54 million contract with San Francisco in March after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was considered the 49ers’ crown jewel of free agency this past off-season and immediately stepped up as a leader in the locker room and on the field. He will be forced to miss the remainder of what was looking like a special season in San Francisco.
Rookie Dre Greenlaw is expected to fill the hole left by Alexander’s absence. He moved from his spot as the strongside linebacker to the weakside after Alexander’s exit. Mark Nzeocha will most likely take Greenlaw’s spot on the strongside.
