The San Francisco 49ers announced that Deommodore Lenoir had been ruled out late during the 45-29 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, which was a bit of a surprise. The team stated the cornerback sustained a rib injury. With only three games remaining in the regular season and a massive Christmas night matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on the horizon, fans were understandably concerned.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan provided an update after the game, but it lacked the detail that would create a sense of relief among the fanbase.
"It was at the end," Shanahan told reporters. "I mean, not sure. He got stepped on. So, he's sore there. We'll have to look at it tomorrow."
Additionally, defensive tackle Kalia Davis exited the game with an ankle injury and didn't return.
The 49ers will fly back to the Bay Area tonight, and the team's medical staff will evaluate injured players before the afternoon. Shanahan typically provides us with updates via a conference call the day after a game, so we'll learn more then.
Brock Purdy briefly exited the game in the second quarter due to a shoulder stinger. He returned and played until the victory was well in hand. Initially, Shanahan feared his quarterback suffered a head injury.
"Then, when he got to the sideline, they quickly told me it was a stinger," Shanahan shared. "And when stingers happen, you just never know how long that'll take. Sometimes, they take throughout the week. Sometimes, they take a couple minutes.
"So we had to continue a drive. So you're trying to call plays, get ready for [QB] Sam [Darnold]. And then I got told a few plays later Brock was good to go."
Purdy admitted that the experience was new to him.
"I'd never had [a stinger] before," Purdy admitted. "So when I got hit, I probably could have popped up with someone to grab my arm and pull me up, but I was, 'All right, yeah, this is my first time having it.' Just based off of what my teammates and guys that I've played with, how they explained a stinger, I was like, 'It's definitely how I'm I'm feeling.'
"It was on my left side, so just laid there for a sec, sort of let it calm down and stuff, and then was able to get up, go to the tent, and then from there, I got better. Literally, as time went on, it just started going away, and that's why I was able to get back in there mid-drive."