Five injuries to monitor after Week 1: Another 49ers star goes down

Each week of the NFL season, Yardbarker will be monitoring players who have suffered notable injuries.

From a San Francisco 49ers tight end to a Detroit Lions cornerback, here are five players we're tracking after Week 1:

San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle 

Kittle exited Sunday's road game against the Seattle Seahawks late in the first half because of a right hamstring injury. He finished with four receptions for 25 yards and one touchdown catch.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told the media that Kittle needs an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. That update adds to San Francisco's injury concerns. Star WR  Brandon Aiyuk (knee) isn't expected to return until Week 6. RB Christian McCaffrey, meanwhile, is battling a calf issue. 

McCaffrey still played in Sunday's game against Seattle but didn't look as explosive when running the ball. He finished with 69 yards on 22 carries.

The 49ers better hope Kittle's strain isn't severe. Quarterback Brock Purdy may struggle without the star TE. In the 17-13 win against Seattle, he went 26-of-35 passing with 277 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. 

Niners backup TE Jake Tonges stepped up, though, catching the winning TD pass late in the fourth quarter. 

Las Vegas Raiders TE Brock Bowers 

Brock Bowers exited the third quarter of Sunday's road game against the New England Patriots with a left knee injury. The TE downplayed it after the 20-13 victory. 

Bowers told NFL Network it was just a "little hit to the knee" (h/t Field Level Media). New Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, meanwhile, said the Raiders will provide more details about the TE's injury on Monday. 

"He's an incredible player, so we need to save him," the coach said of pulling him from the game. 

Bowers' injury doesn't sound too concerning, but the Raiders should keep an eye on it. The 22-year-old pass-catcher is a huge piece of their offense. In Sunday's victory over the Patriots, he finished with five receptions for 103 yards. 

Atlanta Falcons WR Drake London 

London suffered a right shoulder injury in the fourth quarter of Atlanta's 23-20 home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Head coach Raheem Morris said the wideout is scheduled to undergo testing but provided no additional details about the injury.

London missing multiple games would be a huge loss for the Falcons. The 24-year-old wideout is coming off a season in which he finished with a career-high 1,271 receiving yards in 17 games.

Against Tampa Bay, he was one of Falcons second-year QB Michael Penix Jr.'s favorite targets. He had eight receptions for 55 yards. 

Kansas City Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy

Worthy exited the first quarter of Friday's 27-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers because of a right shoulder injury. The former Texas Longhorns star collided with TE Travis Kelce on the game's third play.

On a Sunday episode of "NFL GameDay," NFL media insider Ian Rapoport said Worthy dislocated his shoulder against the Chargers. He could return with a brace, but he's still undergoing testing. Surgery could also be an option for the second-year WR. 

The Chiefs' receiving corps already looked thin without Worthy, who had 59 receptions for 638 yards and six touchdown catches in 17 games during his rookie season. With him likely out of the lineup for multiple games, Kansas City is down to Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster as its top WRs. 

Chiefs WR Rashee Rice is suspended for five more games because of his involvement in a car crash in March 2024. Rookie WR Jalen Royals (knee), meanwhile, is listed as inactive.

Detroit Lions CB Terrion Arnold 

Arnold exited Sunday's 27-13 road loss to the Green Bay Packers with a groin injury. In a postgame news conference, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said the injury's severity remains unclear.

2024 first-rounder Arnold was considered a potential breakout candidate after allowing just four touchdowns in pass coverage in 16 games during his rookie season, via Pro Football Reference.

Without him, the Lions could continue to struggle to stop the pass. Packers QB Jordan Love shredded Detroit's secondary on Sunday, completing 16-of-22 passes for 188 yards and two TDs.