Monday, September 25
Neck injury worse than first thought



SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- San Francisco defensive lineman Junior Bryant will miss the rest of the season because of a bulging disc in his neck.

Junior Bryant
Bryant

The 49ers said tests revealed Bryant suffered an "acute disc bulge" when he fell head-first on the artificial turf at St. Louis' Trans World Dome on Sept. 17. Last week, the 49ers called the injury a sprained neck, but an MRI exam revealed further damage.

Coach Steve Mariucci said Monday that no surgery is planned for Bryant, and rest is the most important factor in his recovery.

"We have to rest him and keep him in shape, and that's going to take some time," Mariucci said. "It's a shame, because he's a leader on this team."

Mariucci said the team hadn't made a roster move in regard to Bryant yet. The 49ers are expected to place Bryant on injured reserve this week.

Though Bryant wasn't expected back until later this season, his loss is another blow to a defense that is already last in the league in yards passing allowed and total yards allowed.

Now, the 49ers' pass rush will be dependent on All-Pro defensive tackle Bryant Young and a young, unproven core of linemen including Brentson Buckner, Anthony Pleasant and Cedric Killings.

"It was a big shock," Young said of Bryant's injury. "It really hurt. He is a very good friend of mine, and it's tough when one of your premier players goes down. It's really upsetting for him."

A veteran defensive end who signed a seven-year contract in February, Bryant is a team leader and one of the few experienced players on San Francisco's young roster.

Bryant missed the 49ers' 41-24 victory at Dallas on Sunday, the first he had missed since signing with San Francisco as a rookie free agent in 1993. Rookie John Engelberger took Bryant's starting spot and sacked Troy Aikman once.

Bryant had played in 83 consecutive games.

"It was the first time I had had that kind of sensation through my whole body," Bryant said of his injury. "After that sensation kind of left, I felt pretty good."

San Francisco's injury problems on defense don't end with Bryant. The 49ers also listed safety Zack Bronson (left shoulder stinger) and linebacker Jeff Ulbrich (right shoulder strain) as doubtful for Sunday's game against Arizona.




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