Sunday saw the San Francisco 49ers blow out the Las Vegas Raiders 38-17, but the Niners received a gut punch in the fourth quarter as rookie defensive tackle Gracen Halton left the game on a cart after his leg appeared to get rolled up on. After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan said that Halton fractured his ankle, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
It was a heartbreaking scene as pretty much everyone from San Francisco's sideline gathered around Halton as he was carted off the field. The rookie appeared to be in tears, which is more than understandable since it seems all but certain his season is now over.
The 49ers can now be extra thankful they swung a trade for DeForest Buckner last week, so the loss doesn't sting quite as badly.
Buckner played in his first game for the 49ers on Sunday since losing the Super Bowl in the 2019 season. San Francisco sent a fourth-round pick to the Indianapolis Colts in return, which was an absolute no-brainer of a move given how many injuries they have sustained on the defensive line.
While it initially seemed like Halton might be demoted following the Buckner trade, it seemed more like he would be a solid rotational depth piece for the Niners, and he was definitely still active in the game on Sunday ahead of his injury. He even had a near interception.
49ers avoided catastrophe without even knowing it with Buckner trade
Alas, Buckner will not be able to mentor Halton in the same way because of the injury. Now the Niners will probably have to turn to undrafted rookie James Thompson Jr. and second-year player C.J. West, who was kind enough to give up the No. 99 after the Niners got Buckner back.
This team is more than accustomed to injuries, so they know all about having a next-man-up mentality. Thompson Jr. and West have both shown promise, so now is their time to step up and make an impact.
The Halton injury could also force the Niners to make another trade to address the defensive line. They may not necessarily need another tackle, but maybe they should pursue another pass rusher, especially since they did not sack Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins once on Sunday. Khalil Mack could make sense if the Los Angeles Chargers finally decide to make some trades after a 0-8 start to the season.
No matter what, though, the Halton loss stings. He was having a great rookie season, and while it ended in a truly awful way, one can only hope he makes a full recovery and can pick up right where he left off next season.
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