On Monday, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said safety Eric Reid suffered a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury in his left knee and will miss at least Thursday's home game against the Los Angeles Rams.
"He definitely won't play this week," Shanahan said. "You know, the good news is, he's not going to need surgery, so it will heal on its own. But, he's definitely not going to play this week. I'd be surprised, it's probably going to be a little bit longer than that, also."
On Tuesday morning, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the injury would keep Reid sidelined for a few weeks, according to a source.
"He was very fortunate," wrote Rapoport via Twitter.
#49ers S Eric Reid, who suffered a PCL injury and is out Thursday, is expected to miss a few weeks, source said. He was very fortunate.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 19, 2017
The injury to Reid, who has emerged as one of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh's favorite players, could have been a lot worse. The defense is already without rookie linebacker Reuben Foster, who has also emerged as one of the group's best and most exciting players. Foster missed Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks, will not play on Thursday against the Rams, and is likely to miss at least a couple of more games after that as he recovers from a high-ankle sprain suffered during Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers.
Reid suffered his non-contact injury while in coverage with 4:39 left in the second quarter against the Seattle Seahawks. He was taken to the locker room at CenturyLink Field for X-rays but felt well enough to return to the game, which he did for four plays before exiting once again. Reid returned to the game in the second half only to exit permanently with 6:59 remaining in the third quarter after we went down again and was assisted to the sideline, where he remained.
On Monday, Shanahan was asked why Reid returned to the game multiple times.
"They didn't feel that there was anything torn, so he felt it was alright," Shanahan said. "I haven't gotten to talk to him personally yet, so I'm not exactly sure. But, when he checked out, it seemed alright. The X-ray they had looked good, and he said he could go so he kept trying to go and then he had his final straw and said he couldn't go anymore. I guess that's what happened."
Reid was replaced by safety Jimmie Ward, who was limited during practice on Monday due to the hamstring injury suffered at the start of training camp. It was Ward's first action of the season. Jaquiski Tartt did not practice at all due to a neck injury and Shanahan told the media that he is questionable to play Thursday.
The injuries at safety will likely open the door for either undrafted rookie Lorenzo Jerome or seventh-round pick Adrian Colbert to get more playing time and help fill in until the group is healthier.