The New Orleans Saints' week two opponent, the San Francisco 49ers, are already dealing with some costly injuries. In their trip to the Crescent City, the Niners might be without George Kittle, Brock Purdy and Jauan Jennings.
Kittle is definitely missing the game versus the Saints. He's already been ruled out for a few weeks with a hamstring injury. At the same time, Purdy is dealing with a left shoulder and toe injury, and WR Jennings is also dealing with a shoulder injury. Purdy and Jennings' status for Sunday remains up in the air.
Another notable injury for San Francisco is to left tackle Trent Williams. He left their game against the Seahawks but would later come back. When asked the specifics of the injury following the game, Shanahan told the media that he didn't know yet. Between the four stars, there have been a combined 19 Pro Bowls and nine All-Pro selections. If any of them aren't on the field on Sunday, the New Orleans Saints might be faced with one of their easiest wins of the season. They have to take advantage.
The New Orleans Saints will have to take advantage of a weak opponent on Sunday
Kittle is easily the biggest blow to the 49ers. Considered one of the best tight ends in franchise history, he holds team records for receptions (542) and receiving yards (7,405) by a tight end dressed in gold and red. Jennings is coming off of a career year that saw him get nearly 1,000 receiving yards (975) and six touchdowns.
Trent Williams is the most likely of the group to see the field. However, even then, he's already not at 100%, possibly giving the defensive line of New Orleans a plan of attack. Last Sunday in Seattle, when seemingly playing through an injury, he finished the game with a 55.3 offensive grade on Pro Football Focus.
Purdy has shown in the past that if he doesn't have his stars around him, he'll struggle to carry the team by himself. However, he led a comeback while facing an injury and heavy adversity with a little gleam in his eye, so maybe Purdy has reached that next level without anybody noticing. Saints should be prepared to take advantage of his nervous mistakes but should also be prepared for a new Brock Purdy.