Injuries to monitor after Week 6: Fred Warner's brutal injury could decrease 49ers' Super Bowl chances

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

From a San Francisco 49ers linebacker to a Cincinnati Bengals defensive end, here are five players we're tracking after Week 6:

San Francisco 49ers LB Fred Warner

Warner injured his right ankle while tackling Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White in the first quarter of Sunday's road game. Niners safety Ji'Ayir Brown rolled into the back of his ankle when the LB was bringing the RB down. 

The four-time first-team All-Pro then had his ankle put in an air cast and was carted off the field. Following the 30-19 San Francisco loss, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said Warner dislocated and fractured the ankle and will need season-ending surgery. 

That continues the 49ers' awful injury luck on defense. Star defensive end Nick Bosa suffered a season-ending ACL tear in a Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Like 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Bosa, Warner is a cornerstone of the Niners' defense. Through six games this season, he had a team-leading 28 solo tackles.

Los Angeles Rams WR Puka Nacua

Nacua suffered a left ankle injury during the second quarter of a 17-3 road win over the Baltimore Ravens. He landed awkwardly while trying to make a catch in the end zone.

The wideout returned to the game but wasn't targeted again. Nacua finished with just two receptions for a season-low 28 receiving yards. 

During a postgame news conference, Rams HC Sean McVay said he's unsure whether Nacua would play in Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2) in London. If he can't play, that would be a significant loss for the Rams. Through his first five games, the 24-year-old led the league in receptions (52) and receiving yards (588). 

Nacua not playing would place more responsibility on WR2 Davante Adams. Through six games, the six-time Pro Bowler has 26 receptions for 396 yards and three touchdown catches. 

New York Jets WR Garrett Wilson 

Wilson didn't leave in Sunday's 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos, but he was checked out on the sideline more than once. Afterward, the WR said he expects to undergo an MRI when the team returns from London. 

"I'm just trying to wait for the stuff to come back. It's really messing with my mental, and I don't want to talk about it," Wilson said of the injury, via Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic.

In his postgame news conference, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Wilson suffered a hip injury. However, Connor Hughes of SNY-TV in New York reported it's a knee injury.

Regardless, losing Wilson — who has 395 receiving yards through six games — would hamper the Jets' passing attack, which is already struggling. In the loss to Denver, New York lost 10 passing yards on the season. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka 

Egbuka, a first-round pick out of Ohio State, injured his hamstring against the 49ers and was ruled out shortly before the fourth quarter. The rookie WR finished with two receptions for 24 yards. 

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles didn't provide an update on Egbuka following the win. Recovery time for hamstring injuries varies depending on the severity of the strain. Some last weeks, while others last months.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported, citing a source, that "the injury currently isn’t believed to be serious." He noted, though, that full details of the injury will be determined with an MRI and Egbuka could miss time based on the results.

Although Baker Mayfield is playing at an MVP level, the quarterback may not continue to carry the offense without Egbuka. Through six games, he has 27 receptions for 469 yards and five TD catches. 

The Buccaneers' receiving corps is already injury-riddled. WR Mike Evans hasn't played since Week 3 because of a hamstring issue, and WR Chris Godwin Jr. didn't play Sunday due to a fibula injury. 

Cincinnati Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson 

Hendrickson was ruled out of Sunday's road game against the Green Bay Packers with a back injury. He left with a member of the team's training staff just before halftime. 

After the 27-18 Bengals loss, Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor said Hendrickson had a "bad contusion" but was unsure of the severity. 

Losing the league's reigning sack leader would hinder the Bengals. Hendrickson — who has four sacks in six games — is off to another fast start this season.

Hendrickson doesn't want to miss a game, either, especially as he's in a contract year. This offseason, the Bengals signed him to a one-year, $29M deal ($30M with incentives).