The San Francisco 49ers may be without running back Matt Breida next Monday when the team faces the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Breida sustained a mid- to high-ankle sprain during Sunday's loss to the Arizona Cardinals and will undergo an MRI on Monday. He fought to return to the game but was ultimately ruled out.
"It was nothing too serious," Breida said after the 28-18 loss. "It was just a little tweak. I have been battling through injuries the past two weeks. I was just trying to get out there and play. I will be all right."
It may not be serious, but the 49ers could sit Breida for a week to give him time to heal, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. The running back has been listed as questionable on each of the team's last two official injury reports over the past couple of weeks. One was due to a knee injury while the other was because of his shoulder.
Source: #49ers Matt Breida sustained a mid- to high-ankle sprain. He'll undergo an MRI on Monday. He may not play next week, as the team wants to give it time to heal and not be something that bothers him throughout the rest of the season.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) October 8, 2018
Breida also suffered a separated shoulder at the start of the preseason and did not play again until Week 1. You can now add the ankle injury to the list.
Breida recorded 56 rushing yards on eight carries and has 369 yards with a touchdown on the season. He has been averaging 7.5 yards per attempt. The average ranks tops among running backs with 20-or-more carries, which would explain why letting him rest a week would be important for a team staring at a potential 1-5 start. With quarterback C.J. Beathard's erratic play, the team may need to rely on the consistent rushing attack provided by Breida down the stretch.
Alfred Morris carried the football 18 times for 61 yards in Breida's absence on Sunday.
