Thursday Night Football games often carry an added risk of injury, and the San Francisco 49ers' 28-25 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9 was no exception.
Although, potentially, the Niners defense might have suffered a debilitating setback.
Midway through the second half, linebacker Kwon Alexander exited the game with an apparent chest injury. After an initial examination, the 49ers ruled him out immediately, although there were television shots of Alexander walking around on the sideline after exiting the game.
Following the win, head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to the media about Alexander's injury and immediate future.
"We're guessing it's something with his [pectoral]" Shanahan told reporters. "So, we'll see tomorrow."
Alexander will undergo an MRI on Friday to reveal the extent of the injury. And while there were plenty of other reasons, San Francisco's defense certainly looked gassed around the time, and after Alexander exited. The Cardinals were able to score 18 second-half points to the Niners' seven.
There will be more news on this, for sure. So stay tuned.
Update: NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco provided some positive updates on Alexander, suggesting the injury might not be overly serious:
The #49ers have some level of optimism concerning LB Kwon Alexander's chest injury. It was not diagnosed immediately as a torn pec, which would be a season-ending injury. He will undergo MRI on Friday to determine the extent of the damage. He appears to have good range of motion.
Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
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