49ers Lose CB Ahkello Witherspoon for 'at Least a Month' With a Sprained Foot
By Michael Luciano
One of the reasons Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers are off to a 3-0 start has been the vastly improved defense, led by the secondary of Richard Sherman and third-year corner Ahkello Witherspoon.
That partnership came to an abrupt end after Witherspoon was carted off the field against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3. Fortunately, the injury isn't season-ending, as Witherspoon suffered what has been diagnosed as a sprained foot. He will be out of commission for at least a month, but possibly longer.
Ahkello Witherspoon is out st least a month with a foot sprain, Shanahan said.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) September 23, 2019
Picked in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Colorado, Witherspoon has recorded 78 tackles and three interceptions in 29 games as a pro.
He has improved so much from his up and down rookie season that teams are now hesitant to throw anywhere near him, as he allowed just three catches on 12 targets in his first two games.
Ahkello Witherspoon has allowed three reception on 12 targets this season and a passer rating allowed of 16.0. #49ers #NinerNation pic.twitter.com/S5hcuNtT9L
— PFF SF 49ers (@PFF_49ers) September 16, 2019
The 49ers defense is slowly turning into one of the better groups in football, but the loss of Witherspoon could slow them down just a tad.
With Witherspoon sidelined, the Niners may be forced to deploy Jason Verrett in his stead, which could prove problematic considering his noticeable struggles against the Steelers.