49ers receive good news about injuries to two key defensive ends

The San Francisco 49ers avoided a horror scenario in the last game of their preseason.

In a game where staying healthy was the most important thing, the 49ers lost two of their three best defensive ends to injuries in the first quarter. Yetur Gross-Matos went down first, followed shortly thereafter by Leonard Floyd.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game that both players suffered knee sprains. In another update Sunday, Shanahan said Floyd's condition will be assessed day-to-day and Gross-Matos' will be assessed week-to-week.

It sounds like Floyd should be ready for the season's opening game on Sept. 9. Gross-Matos' status, however, is less certain. Shanahan said the team does not expect to have to place him on the injured list and there is hope he will be able to practice the week before the opening game.

Ultimately, the 49ers avoided disaster because neither player suffered serious injuries. Even if either player had been out for several weeks, it would have put San Francisco in a precarious position. Their defensive end position is not well-staffed and they have relied heavily on Floyd and Gross-Matos this season. If either of them is taken out of the rotation, the 49ers will have to scrape the bottom of an already weak barrel at the pass-rushing position.

The 49ers open their regular season on Monday night with a game against the New York Jets, ending Week 1.