49ers safety Eric Reid will likely miss multiple games with a PCL injury in his left knee but will not need surgery, head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday.
“He’s got something with his knee,” Shanahan said in a conference call. “He definitely won’t play this week. You know, the good news is, he’s not going to need surgery, so it will heal on its own. But, he’s definitely not going to play this week. I’d be surprised, it’s probably going to be a little bit longer than that, also.”
The left knee sprain occurred in the second quarter of the 49ers 12-9 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, eventually ending Reid’s day in the third quarter. Reid tried to re-enter the game on two separate occasions after the non-contact “tweaking” took place.
“They kept looking at his knee and didn’t feel that there was anything torn,” Shanahan said when asked why Reid was put back in the game. “It seemed alright. (Reid) said he could go, kept trying to go.”
Reid’s absence is the second blow in as many weeks to the reinvigorated 49ers defense, that also lost impressive rookie linebacker Reuben Foster to a high ankle sprain that will keep him out a month in their season opener.
The 49ers may also be without starting free safety Jaquiski Tartt against the Rams on Thursday, who is currently listed as questionable with a neck injury. Jimmie Ward — who was supposed to open the season as a starter but has been out with a lingering hamstring injury — is expected to takeover.
“I know he was hurting today,” Shanahan said of Tartt. “We’ll see how he is when he comes in tomorrow.”
Tartt is listed on the team’s backup strong safety on the team’s unofficial depth chart, and would likely start alongside Reid on Thursday, if he’s healthy enough to go. If not, undrafted rookie Lorenzo Jerome will likely get the nod. Adrian Colbert, the 49ers’ 7th round pick in the 2017 Draft, is the only other safety on the roster.