San Francisco's injury woes continued on Wednesday afternoon but did not last too deep into the evening.
Niners defensive end Nick Bosa and cornerback Jason Verrett both underwent MRIs on their ankles after exiting practice with apparent injuries.
Bosa was diagnosed with an ankle sprain following his MRI, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday night. San Francisco is expected to be cautious with Bosa, meaning the 2019 second-overall pick should be held out of preseason games.
Verrett was also diagnosed with a minor ankle sprain, Rapoport added. That result is a big relief for the injury-plagued cornerback.
Niners defensive coordinator Robert Saleh intimated after practice that neither injury was expected to be serious, but San Francisco was clearly taking precautions with two highly regarded defensive starters.
This one-two punch was notable because both Bosa and Verrett have recent injury history. Bosa missed the offseason program with a bum hamstring and sat out most of his 2018 season at Ohio State with a core muscle injury.
Snakebitten for three seasons now, Verrett has played just five games since 2016 after suffering injuries to his ACL and Achilles. He joined San Francisco in free agency on a prove-it deal.
They weren't the only Niners to suffer apparent injuries on Wednesday afternoon. Receiver Marquise Goodwin also missed part of practice with an apparent right leg injury but later returned to the proceedings.
While Bosa and Verrett appear to have escaped disaster, a serious injury to either player would be disappointing for a defense that hasn't been shy to hype up the newcomers and their effect on a previously underwhelming side.
