San Francisco 49ers helmet (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
The San Francisco 49ers will have to continue their Super Bowl quest without star defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.
Per David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that Javon Hargrave is likely done for the rest of the season after suffering a partially torn triceps muscle.
Hargrave is in the second season of a four-year, $84 million deal he signed with the 49ers in 2023 free agency after rising to stardom with the Philadelphia Eagles. He had one sack and seven tackles in the 49ers’ first three games before suffering the injury.
49ers DT Javon Hargrave partially tore his triceps muscle. He’s likely out for the season
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) September 23, 2024
Javon Hargrave’s injury is another blow to a banged-up 49ers team without All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey (on the injured reserve with a calf/Achilles injury) with no firm timeline on a potential return.
Javon Hargrave tied for the most pressures among any DT in Week 3, and Myles Garrett was the only player with a higher pressure rate at any position.
The 1 play narratives and cherry-picking on here are outta hand. Hargrave was the 49ers most productive pass rusher vs. the Rams
— Kyle Posey (@KP_Show) September 23, 2024
The short-handed 49ers were also without star tight end George Kittle (hamstring) and All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel (calf) in their Week 3 road loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Now the 49ers must get by without one of their top defensive players in Javon Hargrave. It’s a tough blow for a usually-stingy defense that is off to a slow start, having allowed 23.0 points per contest over their first three games.
49ers Should Trade For Javon Hargrave’s Replacement
The 49ers are in win-now mode and simply can’t afford to squander another year of their window with veterans in Kittle, McCaffrey, Samuel, Trent Williams, Brandon Aiyuk, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner.
San Francisco GM John Lynch is usually among the most aggressive executives at the trade deadline, but he may not want to wait until Nov. 5 (this year’s deadline date) to make a move to help his defense.
Without Javon Hargrave, the 49ers’ run defense becomes a lot more vulnerable. Lynch should be working the phones now and see if he can pick up another interior defensive lineman at a reasonable price with Hargrave unlikely to return this year.
