Inside: Kwon Alexander to miss rest of season.
SANTA CLARA >> Kwon Alexander joined the 49ers in free agency seeking to make a “legendary” impact, and the linebacker’s signature speed and contagious energy helped in their 8-0 start.
Now someone else must step up in his place.
Alexander sustained a seasonending pectoral tear in Thursday night’s 28-25 win at Arizona, and he likely will undergo surgery next week, the 49ers announced.
Alexander tweeted: “I’m built for this shhh! It’s all part of the game! I sacrifice everything when I step in between the white line! Ima be Legendary! Everything happens for a reason! I’ll be back!!”
Coach Kyle Shanahan braced himself for such disappointing injury news.
“He’s been a great addition for us. It’s going to be a tough loss,” Shanahan said on a media conference call earlier Friday. “Hopefully it’s not for the whole season, but if it is, we’ll deal with it.”
Rookie Dre Greenlaw replaced Alexander for the final quarter against the Cardinals, and other options are to call on rookie Azeez Al-Shaair and promote Elijah Lee, a replacement starter last year who’s spent this season on the practice squad.
Greenlaw had his first career sack Thursday night, and he wished Alexander well via a Friday tweet: “Hate that for you brudda! Know we gone hold it down for you LilTrilla.”
Alexander, 25, came at a hefty price (four years, $54 million) despite ending his Tampa Bay Buccaneers tenure with a torn anterior cruciate ligament last October. He was their answer to the failed Reuben Foster project (see: 2017 first-round draft pick, November 2018 release).
“Kwon has been great for us this year on the field and as a leader,” Shanahan said.
Pairing nicely with middle linebacker Fred Warner, Alexander’s speed shined in coverage at weakside linebacker. The dominant defensive line limited the linebackers’ tackle total, and Alexander finished with 34 tackles, an interception in Week 2 at the Cincinnati Bengals, a half-sack against the Cleveland Browns, and forced fumbles against Carolina and the Los Angeles Rams.
He had no tackles and didn’t appear on Thursday’s stat sheet. He injured himself using his left arm to trip up Kenyan Drake a yard short of the first-down marker on third-and-17 with 4:23 remaining in the third quarter, a play nullified by an ineligibleman-down-field penalty.
Alexander is the first 49er to sustain a season-ending injury in a game this season. Offensive tackles Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey, fullback Kyle Juszczyk and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon are expected back soon after extended absences.
• Tight end George Kittle also underwent an MRI exam Friday morning, and his left knee “is good,” a source told the NFL Network. Kittle’s knee was struck by Cardinals pass rusher Chandler Jones’ helmet on the 49ers’ first offensive snap.
Shanahan was “pretty optimistic” his leading receiver would be OK, having played through pain most of Thursday’s win. Kittle quickly responded well, highlighted by a 30-yard touchdown catch-and-run.
Shanahan acknowledged, however, that it could be tough for Kittle to recover in time for the 49ers’ next game, on Monday night, Nov. 11 at home against the Seahawks.
“Talking to everyone last night, I’m feeling pretty optimistic about Kittle,” Shanahan said. “I know he played through a lot of stuff and it’s going to be tough on him this week. But I feel pretty good that it’s not going to be a longer term thing, and hopefully we’ll get him back this week.”
• Cornerback Richard Sherman and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner called Thursday night’s near-collapse a humbling experience, and Sherman went so far as to say the 49ers needed to get humbled. Shanahan was more forgiving.
“The defense has set an extremely high standard this year for how good they’ve played. This game wasn’t as good, but it was far from a bad game,” Shanahan said. “Those guys played real well in the first half. They gave up that first drive and got out of a gap on that long run. We had a chance to get them off the field and had the horse-collar (tackle penalty).”
Shanahan noted that offenses typically have an advantage in Thursday night games after less recovery from previous games and that this game reflected that for both teams.
• Sanders, in only his second game since getting traded from the Denver Broncos, produced seven receptions on a team-high nine targets for 112 yards. He has a touchdown in each game and instant chemistry with Garoppolo, as best shown on a 22-yard reception in the third quarter to set up the 49ers’ final touchdown.
“It’s been real cool to watch,” Shanahan said. “Emmanuel’s fit in right away with everyone on the field and off the field.
“You could feel it pick up steam as the game went on, the confidence of those two together. I could feel it also. It was fun to have him on our team last night.”