The 49ers may have lost one of their starting cornerbacks during their 45-29 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Deommodore Lenoir suffered a rib injury late in the fourth quarter during a 49-yard touchdown run by Cardinals running back Emari Demercado. Lenoir got blocked by Cardinals slot receiver Rondale Moore, then threw him to the side and immediately grabbed his left side as Demercado sprinted for the touchdown. Lenoir did not return to the game.
The 49ers have not yet reported the severity of Lenoir's injury. He will have X-rays today, and Kyle Shanahan will update the media during a conference call at 2:00 Pacific.
Lenoir has been one of the 49ers' unsung heroes this season. He won't go to the Pro Bowl or win an award, but he has been invaluable to the 49ers defense. He started out playing cornerback, then moved to nickelback once the team realized Isaiah Oliver isn't good enough to play that position. And Lenoir has been just as good if not better at nickel than he was at cornerback. And he plays both positions every game. He's one of the most versatile players on the team.
If Lenoir misses time, defensive coordinator Steve Wilks will have to decide how to replace him. Wilks could go back to Oliver, but he's slow and he got torched earlier in the season.
Wilks also could go to second-year cornerback Samuel Womack, who's less experienced but much faster than Oliver. Perhaps Wilks will use both of them depending on the matchup.
Stay tuned.
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