The San Francisco 49ers will be without one of their best defenders for the rest of the season. Linebacker Kwon Alexander suffered a torn pectoral in the 49ers’ win over the Cardinals on Thursday night and will be out for the year, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
This is a significant loss for the 49ers, who boast the best defense in the NFC and a perfect 8-0 record. He ranked second on the team with 34 tackles, also picking off one pass and forcing a fumble in eight games.
He left Thursday’s game in the third quarter and was replaced by rookie Dre Greenlaw at middle linebacker. Greenlaw, a fifth-round pick this year, will be the top candidate to fill in for Alexander during his absence.
Alexander signed a four-year, $54 million contract this offseason after previously playing for the Buccaneers. He missed most of the 2018 season with a torn ACL but was playing at a high level for the 49ers this year.
This is just the latest of a string of injuries suffered by 49ers stars this season. Joe Staley, Mike McGlinchey, Ahkello Witherspoon, and Kyle Juszczyk have all missed significant time, but all are expected to return against the Seahawks in Week 10.
Richard Sherman reacted to the news, saying he’s heartbroken for his teammate Alexander.
