In news that came as no surprise, the 49ers will be without defensive end Sam Okuayinonu for their season opener.
The Niners initially listed Okuayinonu as questionable with a foot injury and he did not make the long journey to Melbourne, Australia with the rest of the team on Thursday as they prepare to face the Los Angeles Rams next week.
That was a clear sign Okuayinonu would likely not be hopping on a later plane to join the team and make his season debut, and the 49ers have now downgraded him
to out.
It is a significant setback at a position where the 49ers have scant depth.
Okuayinonu would have been expected to start at defensive end across from Nick Bosa. In his absence, Keion White will be the favorite to take that spot, with rookie Romello Height — who has been dealing with an ankle injury — seemingly set for a decent workload if deemed healthy to play.
San Francisco has Ogbo Okoronkwo and Vincent Anthony Jr. on the practice squad. With Okuayinonu out, it appears inevitable Okoronkwo will be elevated to the gameday roster.
The 49ers are already trying to piece things together at defensive end before a ball has even been snapped in the regular season. Bosa is their only outside pass rusher whom the Rams will fear and he has been dealing with knee tendinitis following his ACL reconstruction. It is a desperate situation for the Niners to be in up front, and Okuayinonu’s absence makes it worse.
