Russell Gage suffered ‘slight' sprained MCL, dealing another blow to 49ers WRs

Russell Gage suffered ‘slight' sprained MCL, dealing another blow to 49ers WRs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The 49ers can add another injured wide receiver to their growing list.

Veteran wideout Russell Gage sustained a “slight MCL sprain,” 49ers general manager John Lynch confirmed with KNBR’s Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher on Thursday morning.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported Thursday morning, citing sources, that Gage suffered the injury and will be out of action for a week to 10 days.

Lynch told Murphy and Boucher that he and coach Kyle Shanahan saw the injury happen together in practice, and it initially looked worse than an MCL sprain.

“That’s one of those ones, we were out at practice, we’re doing 1-on-1s and at first, I thought [it was] his ankle, like he buckled,” Lynch said. “So, I think given what I saw on the field, Russell has been having a really good camp and I was standing with Kyle right when it happened and we just said ‘Oh no.’ Because it looked like his leg buckled.

“So I think a slight MCL sprain was actually welcomed news. He will miss some time. We expect him to be ready for our opener. It’s not ideal but it’s better than the alternative with what we saw. But he is working through that.”

That prognosis rules Gage out for the 49ers’ preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday night at Levi’s Stadium.

Gage, in San Francisco’s first two preseason games, has caught five total passes for 28 yards.

In Matt Maiocco’s latest 53-man roster projection, Gage doesn’t make the final cut, but could be ticketed for the 49ers’ practice squad.

San Francisco has been ravaged by injuries up and down its roster, and the wide receiver group has been hit hard.

While star receiver Jauan Jennings holds in as he pushes for a new contract, second-year pro Ricky Pearsall appears to be the only healthy wideout. Jordan Watkins is dealing with a high ankle sprain and Jacob Cowing sustained a lower-body injury this week.

Brandon Aiyuk is expected to start the 2025 NFL season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list as he finishes his recovery from ACL surgery and veteran Demarcus Robinson likely will be suspended for the first three games of the year.

All of that prompted the 49ers to acquire wide receiver Skyy Moore from the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan. The deal involves the teams swapping future sixth- and seventh-round picks.

It’s likely the 49ers knew about Gage’s injury when they made the Moore trade. And general manager John Lynch might not be done searching the trade market for healthy players.

Gage spent his first four NFL seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, where he caught 244 passes for 2,491 yards with 14 touchdown receptions. He spent the 2022 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he caught 51 passes for 426 yards with five touchdown receptions.

Several injuries cost Gage the entire 2023 NFL season and he didn’t make the Baltimore Ravens’ roster last year.

Now, another injury has gotten in Gage’s way of making the 49ers’ roster.