San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk is expected to miss two to three weeks after an MRI on Monday showed a knee sprain and bone bruise, per ESPN. Juszczyk was hurt early in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 24-14 win over the Denver Broncos. With 14:03 left, quarterback Brock Purdy scrambled to his left and found him down the sideline for a 16-yard gain, and Broncos defensive back Jahdae Barron caught him with a hard hit to the knee and midsection, according to ESPN.
Juszczyk stayed down for several minutes and needed help to the sideline, and the 49ers quickly ruled him out. The diagnosis is better than it looked at the time. Initial tests pointed to a hyperextended knee, and coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game that "the ACL and stuff looked intact." A 2-3-week absence also means the 49ers likely won't need to place Juszczyk on injured reserve, which is generally used for players expected to miss at least four games.
Juszczyk has been named to 10 straight Pro Bowls, the most ever by a fullback, and has four catches for 55 yards and a touchdown this season, including two for 28 yards on Sunday. He wasn't the only 49ers player who couldn't finish the game. Safety Marques Sigle hurt his ankle and slot cornerback Upton Stout hurt his shoulder.
Shanahan said the early read on Stout was an AC joint injury, while the severity of Sigle's ankle injury was still unclear, and both were set to be evaluated Monday. According to ESPN, Sigle had already left once early in the third quarter with a stinger before returning, then was hurt again near Denver's sideline with 2:15 left. Stout was hurt in the third quarter, came back late and left again before the Broncos' final snaps.
Both finished with six tackles. The 49ers (4-0) visit the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Oct. 11, host the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football on Oct.
19 and travel to Atlanta on Oct. 25. Juszczyk's timeline puts his return somewhere in that stretch, with San Francisco's Week 8 bye coming right after the Falcons game
