49ers Fear LB Kwon Alexander Could Miss Significant Time With Pec Injury

The San Francisco 49ers, though the Arizona Cardinals made a surprising late surge, did what most football fans expected them to do on Thursday Night Football: improve to 8-0 on the year.

Arizona stifled San Fran's previously dominant run game, but Jimmy Garoppolo responded with the best game of his career, throwing for north of 300 yards and four touchdowns.

While that's all well and good, the 49ers have left Phoenix with a potentially devastating blow to their world-beating defense. Speaking to reporters after the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan disclosed that linebacker Kwon Alexander could miss significant time with a pec injury.

#49ers LB Kwon Alexander left tonight’s game with a chest injury and did not return. HC Kyle Shanahan said the team fears it’s a pec injury. He’ll have an MRI tomorrow to learn the extent of the injury.
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) November 1, 2019

Alexander will have an MRI on Friday to determine the full extent of the injury, and all 49ers fan are surely concerned that a torn pectoral revelation looms in the future.

Of course, Texans defensive superstar JJ Watt underwent season-ending surgery this week to repair a torn pectoral that he suffered this past Sunday against the Raiders, with the injury developing in much the same fashion.

In reassuring news, however, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area understands that San Francisco is marginally optimistic that the MRI results won't be all that daunting, and that Alexander wasn't immediately diagnosed with a torn pec.

The #49ers have some level of optimism concerning LB Kwon Alexander’s chest injury. It was not diagnosed immediately as a torn pec, which would be a season-ending injury. He will undergo MRI on Friday to determine the extent of the damage. He appears to have good range of motion.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) November 1, 2019

Through eight games, Alexander has logged 34 tackles, an interception, and forced fumble.

Those aren't breathtaking numbers, but they will surely be difficult to replicate from a backup thrust into his position, should he miss time. Stay tuned for updates on Alexander's MRI results, as we presume they'll be publicized later today or early Saturday.