49ers Recap: 49ers 24, Raiders 24, Injury Woes for Defensive Line Ahead of Season

The San Francisco 49ers faced a tough situation in their preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders, ending in a 24-24 tie.

Defensive ends Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos both suffered knee injuries in the first quarter, raising concerns about their availability for the upcoming regular season.

Floyd and Gross-Matos, key offseason signings, were injured within three snaps of each other.

Fortunately, initial assessments indicated that neither player sustained a serious ACL tear. The team is awaiting MRI results to determine the extent of their injuries.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged the risks of playing starters in a preseason game, especially on the same field where the 49ers lost Super Bowl LVIII just six months prior. Notably, star defensive end Nick Bosa did not participate in the game.

On the offensive side, quarterback Brock Purdy had a solid outing, connecting with Deebo Samuel and George Kittle in their preseason debuts.

Purdy completed 9 of 12 passes for 96 yards, leading the team to scoring drives on their first two possessions.

The 49ers also showcased their special teams, with rookie Isaac Guerendo returning a kickoff for 93 yards, setting up a touchdown.

The injuries to Floyd and Gross-Matos come at a challenging time, as the 49ers had already ruled out 2022 first-round pick Drake Jackson for the season due to a knee injury.

Purdy , in his postgame press conference, said of Floyd. “The word is he’s feeling better. Hopefully he’s good to go. Third preseason game and seeing one of our starters go down, it’s always scary.”

With the regular season opener approaching, the team will need to assess their defensive depth, which includes players like Robert Beal Jr. and Alex Barrett.

Brandon Aiyuk was present at the game but did not play, continuing his contract negotiations. Other notable absences included running backs Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell, along with several key defensive players.

The 49ers are also missing rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall due to injury.

Shanahan clarified that Pearsall subluxed — partially dislocated — that shoulder.

“He did it in college, I think his junior year. About 50 percent of the people coming out of college do that,” Shanahan said . “That really wasn’t the problem. He did it in OTAs for the first time with us,” Shanahan said, alluding to spring practices in May and June. “When you do that, it’s tender. And then he re-did it here a couple of weeks ago. That makes it tender so you want to give him time to come back from it.”

As the 49ers prepare for the regular season, they will need to address these injuries and finalize their roster ahead of the September 9 opener against the New York Jets.