Ninersnation

Which injury could have the biggest impact for the 49ers vs. the Chiefs?

S.Hernandez30 min ago
The San Francisco 49ers have a big weekend ahead of them, as they'll host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon in a rematch of last year's Super Bowl .

San Francisco, standing at 3-3, is coming off a key divisional victory over the Seattle Seahawks , and will look to start a hot streak here, but it won't come easy against one of the NFL's two undefeated teams.

To make matters worse, the 49ers are dealing with a number of notable injuries this week, raising questions as to who will end up playing on Sunday.

Maliek Collins (knee), Leonard Floyd (not injury related), Jauan Jennings (hip), Jake Moody (right ankle), Trent Williams (not injury related), and Matthew Wright (shoulder, back) were all on the Injury Report as DNP's on Wednesday, with Collins and Jennings's injuries seeming like the biggest news.

Additionally, Jordan Elliott (calf), Darrell Luter (pelvis), Jordan Mason (shoulder), S Malik Mustapha (ankle), and WR Deebo Samuel (wrist) were limited in practice.

The 49ers are already thin at the interior of their defensive line, as Javon Hargrave is out for the year, while Elliott missed last weekend while dealing with an issue of his own. Now, Collins is facing a knee injury, placing his availability into question and only further clouding the picture at the position.

Elsewhere, Jauan Jennings's hip injury is a big deal, as the 49ers' slot receiver shined against the Chiefs in the Super Bowl last year, when he caught four passes for 42 yards and a score.

Jennings's injury comes in light of first-round pick Ricky Pearsall returning to practice, but it makes sense that San Francisco doesn't rush the latter back, which may mean delving into the group of backups, such as Chris Conley and Ronnie Bell, at the position.

But, the biggest injury could perhaps be the shoulder issue to running back Jordan Mason, who couldn't return after sustaining the injury in the first half last week and seeing just one touch in the second half.

Mason's injury seems more like a pain tolerance issue, but the 49ers running game would take a massive hit without him in the fold, as Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor would likely lead the way. Last week, even with the lead, it didn't seem like San Francisco was as comfortable running the ball in the second half until the end when they tried to close out the game.

It feels that Mason's injury could be the biggest for San Francisco, as his absence could very well change the gameplan and involve more dropback passing, which allows Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to throw out the unique looks with hopes of generating pressure.

Additionally, Malik Mustapha's knee issue should be one to monitor, as the 49ers just signed Adrian Amos to the practice squad. Amos could be inserted into the game should Mustapha be limited or unable to go.

With as many injuries as the 49ers are facing, which one is the biggest for Sunday's game in the Chiefs?

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