Garçon left the 49ers' Week 8 road game against the Philadelphia Eagles with an apparent neck injury. He felt confident after the game that the injury was not a serious one. However, Garçon was not able to practice on Wednesday, which prompted the 49ers medical staff to send the receiver for more testing that night. The results showed a non-displaced fracture of the right C5 pedicle.
The injury, which is going to require about eight weeks of recovery, forced the 49ers to place Garçon on injured reserve and ending his season.
"They have to immobilize it," 49ers general manager John Lynch said on KNBR Thursday night as he broke the news. "Unfortunately, a guy who's been one of our, if not our best, players this season is out."
Garçon was acquired via free agency in March after signing a five-year, $47 million contract. Through eight games, he leads the 49ers with 40 receptions for 500 yards. Garçon, a 10-year veteran, spent his previous five seasons with the Washington Redskins and the four before that with the Indianapolis Colts. He was on pace for his third career 1,000-yard season. Until this year, Garçon had never played in fewer than 10 games in a season over his career.
"It's something we've got to deal with," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on KNBR Friday morning. "It was pretty hard to hear. Spent the night pretty upset about it. Woke up the next morning and it's time to move on. You've got to deal with it, embrace it, and someone's got to step up, and we've got to work to help everyone else out because we're not going to find a guy to replace Pierre."
Gilliam, who started at right tackle against the Eagles in place of Trent Brown, suffered a knee injury in the second quarter and was ruled out. He got the start because Brown suffered a concussion during a Week 7 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys and was not cleared in time to play against Philadelphia.
On April 17, Gilliam, who was a restricted free agent at the time, was signed by the 49ers to a one-year contract worth $2.2 million with $1.4 million guaranteed. In his three seasons before joining San Francisco, the tackle played in 44 regular season games for the Seattle Seahawks while starting 30.
Gilliam turned down lengthier contracts offered by the 49ers because he had hoped to become an unrestricted free agent following the season.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers QB weighs in on George Kittle's chances of a Week 1 return
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle remains focused on returning for Week 1 after suffering an Achilles injury during last season's playoff victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. So far, the recovery appears to be progressing well. Kittle looked sharp during Tuesday's... -
Report: 49ers exploring possible relocation of practice facilities
The San Francisco 49ers have invested heavily in their current practice facility in Santa Clara, California, which sits adjacent to Levi's Stadium and serves as the team's headquarters. However, with limited room for expansion, only so much can be done. It turns out, the... -
'We get to hit people in the face': 49ers' George Kittle sends fiery message to division rivals
San Francisco 49ers fans were understandably frustrated watching the Seattle Seahawks capture Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. Seeing a division rival celebrate a championship on your home field is never easy. 49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner understands... -
49ers fans take note: NFL insider warns 'the 18-game slate is coming'
San Francisco 49ers fans would undoubtedly welcome another opportunity each season to watch their favorite team take the field. According to one NFL insider, that extra game is likely on the horizon—it's simply a matter of when the league and players can agree on the...