San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch delivered some crushing news to fans via KNBR on Thursday night. Veteran wide receiver Pierre Garçon will miss the remainder of the season and be placed on injured reserve due to a neck injury he sustained against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Not all of Lynch's news during the interview was bad. The general manager also provided some good news about another 49ers veteran. The initial assumption was that left tackle Joe Staley would miss at least two games and likely more. Lynch informed the audience that Staley would return following the team's bye week and will probably be available for a November 26 matchup at home against the Seattle Seahawks.
"Joe, that was kind of a blessing because early on, we think broken orbital bone, probably out for the year," Lynch said on the "Tolbert & Lund" show. "After he saw the specialist, I guess the type of break he had; we're going to get him after the bye week. That's the plan."
Staley suffered the fractured orbital bone following an interception by Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills when defensive lineman Fletcher Cox blocked the left tackle during the return. Staley was taken to a local hospital in Philadelphia, where he remained overnight while the team traveled home following the game. He returned to the Bay Area on Monday.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Monday he didn't believe Staley would land on injured reserve, but the team was still looking into the possibilities. Lynch's news is a welcome improvement for a team that will either be starting a rookie at quarterback or a veteran who hasn't been with the team for even a month when it plays the Seahawks.
Staley is an 11-year veteran drafted with the 28th overall pick out of Central Michigan by the 49ers in 2007. He has been selected to five Pro Bowls and is a three-time second-team All-Pro.
You can listen to the entire interview with Lynch below.