San Francisco 49ers: 5 injured players from 2019 who’ll make a difference in 2020
By Peter Panacy
No. 1: Linebacker Kwon Alexander
Linebacker Kwon Alexander is one of those players who managed to return from injured reserve after suffering a pectoral tear on Halloween against the Arizona Cardinals.
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The injury was thought to be a season ender, of course, which cut into what was a dominant defense over the first half of 2019. Yet Alexander managed to return in time for the playoffs, making a key difference up until the Super Bowl.
Speaking of the Super Bowl, Alexander clearly wasn’t playing at full strength. But as we learned later, as reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Alexander wasn’t just trying to play in the immediate wake of his pectoral recovery, he also required surgery on his bicep following the season.
Simply put, Alexander was nowhere near 100 percent after his return.
San Francisco’s defense, amid a number of other injuries, visibly looked worse after Alexander’s injury than before. And while his setback opened up the door for then-rookie linebacker Dre Greenlaw to assume a more prominent role, thriving in it, it’s hard to argue the defense didn’t miss Alexander’s presence on the field.
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Getting him back, along with the remainder of injured 49ers players from last season, should stand to boost the Niners chances for a Super Bowl return a lot in 2020.