The San Francisco 49ers can collectively breathe a sigh of relief after learning fullback Kyle Juszczyk won't miss a significant amount of time after taking a hit to his knee during the Niners' 24-14 victory over the Denver Broncos in Week 4.
True, head coach Kyle Shanahan subsequently told reporters the initial on-field tests suggested it wasn't an ACL tear for Juszczyk, but the full extent of the damage wouldn't be known until an MRI test was conducted on Monday.
Until that point, there was still a possibility Juszczyk could miss an extensive amount of time.
Fortunately, as shared by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the perennial Pro Bowler suffered a bone bruise and not any serious ligament tear, and the expectation is Juszczyk will be out two to three weeks:
Source after the MRI: Expected to be out 2-3 weeks with a bone bruise. All in all, good news. https://t.co/OSfccEKgkL
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 5, 2026
That's excellent news, indeed. Shanahan and the rest of the offense can take solace, knowing their versatile offensive weapon won't be out for long.
However, there are still some notable concerns.
49ers must weather a brief storm while Kyle Juszczyk is out with injury
San Francisco has a massive test ahead with a Week 5 road showdown against the 3-1 defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, whose defense wholly stymied Shanahan and the 49ers the last two times they met a season ago.
Considering how much Juszczyk does for Shanahan's system to work properly, it's obviously a major loss that won't easily be overcome with a fill-in replacement. Shanahan will have to get creative to ensure his offense works well enough against one of the league's better defenses.
Particularly in an in-division matchup that may carry huge weight, come December.
Fortunately, the Niners' subsequent two games—Week 6 against the 1-3 Washington Commanders and Week 7 against the 1-2 Atlanta Falcons—don't appear to pose as serious of threats. Of the three upcoming contests, only Seattle figures to be the most realistic challenge to a sans-Juszczyk offense.
San Francisco gets a bye week in Week 8, meaning Juszczyk should be fully healed by the time San Francisco squares off against the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 8.
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