Coach Kyle Shanahan's San Francisco 49ers are 7-1 on the season after a 38-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders at Levi's Stadium that included an epic return intro for DeForest Buckner. The 49ers' injury report was long heading into the game and got longer as Gracen Halton, a rookie defensive tackle, went down in sudden and unexpected fashion.
Halton, who has started six of eight games played this year as a rookie for Shanahan's team, went down with a broken left ankle in the fourth quarter of the 49ers' 38-17 win and is expected to be out for the season, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The promising young defender's injury was bad news for a team that needs all the help it can get as its roster continues to shrink due to health problems. Halton was selected in the fourth round (107th overall) out of Oklahoma and overplayed his draft position as one of the 49ers' keystone players. Halton signed a four-year rookie deal worth approximately $5.62 million. He helped anchor defensive coordinator Raheem Morris' unit as one of its more dependable players.
The 49ers' offense, led by outspoken and efficient QB Brock Purdy, gets most of the headlines, but Morris' unit has had its moments this season in many of the 49ers' biggest victories. San Francisco was led by Purdy on offense against the Raiders, who had two touchdown passes and one interception. Jordan Watkins led a patchwork 49ers receiver room with 86 yards and a touchdown, showing San Francisco's depth.
Shanahan and Morris will miss Halton, but they know it's a next-man-up mentality in the Bay Area. Winning the Super Bowl is the ultimate goal, and the 49ers still have a great chance to make it happen.