The 49ers could be without their starting cornerback for Sunday's matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi's Stadium in Week 7.
After sustaining a groin injury in San Francisco's loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6, cornerback Charvarius Ward has yet to practice this week and appears increasingly likely to miss Sunday's game.
Stanford Medicine's Dr. Marc Safran spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area's 49ers reporter Jennifer Lee Chan about the possible recovery timelines for varying degrees of groin injuries.
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"All injuries to the muscle and muscle-tendon area are strains of varying degrees, so they're kind of one in the same," Dr. Safran said. "But yeah, the more severe the strain is, the longer it takes to return to sport. If he has a very low-grade one, missing a week or missing two weeks may be possible. But obviously, with a much higher-grade strain it can take even longer. Sometimes the strain is so severe that it can pull away from bone and that can take six weeks or three months even to be able to get back from that injury."
Dr. Safran explained what Ward's rehab might consist of if the cornerback's strain is to the adductor muscle group, which is the inside of the thigh and the most common type of groin strain among athletes.
"If the groin strain is an adductor type of strain, the key is to reduce the inflammation, try to get the muscle stretched out so that the scar tissue that would form with any injury wouldn't end up in a shortened position and be more susceptible to reoccurring straining," Safran said. "And then strengthening the muscles around."
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The team has not revealed exactly to what degree Ward's strain is, but he would not be the first 49ers player to miss time due to a groin injury this season. Tight end George Kittle missed the first two weeks of the 2022 season with a groin injury, while defensive end Nick Bosa sustained a similar injury in Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers and ended up missing the game against the Falcons and still is working his way back to the field.
Having already lost fellow cornerback Emmanuel Moseley (ACL) for the rest of the season, the 49ers might be without both of their starting corners Sunday against quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.