Terry McLaurin's Knee and Mike Evans' Achilles Turn 49ers-Commanders Into a MASH Unit

The San Francisco 49ers might be a flawless 6-0, but the injury gods just collected a massive tax from both sidelines during their 23-17 win over the Washington Commanders.

According to Mike Garafolo, 49ers receiver Mike Evans is dealing with an Achilles injury that is not going away anytime soon. Meanwhile, Washington wideout Terry McLaurin is waiting on the official diagnosis for a knee injury, and the early whispers are about as optimistic as a blockbuster movie releasing in January.

"Mike Garafolo reported McLaurin's diagnosis is 'not expected to be a good one.'"

McLaurin went down in the first quarter with a non-contact left knee injury after simply running a route. He left the field in an air cast on a cart, which is the universal sports sign that you should probably go ahead and write off any future player prop bets involving him. For a Washington team already drowning at 1-4-1, losing their top weapon turns a bad season into a full-blown tragedy.

On the other side, Evans had a flare-up of Achilles tendinitis that forced him out of the game. The San Francisco 49ers are an absolute wagon right now, sitting alone at the top of the NFC West. But an Achilles issue for a veteran receiver is the kind of lingering problem that turns a minor headache into a season-long migraine.

San Francisco has the luxury of a perfect record to buy Evans some rest, but Achilles tendons do not care about your playoff seeding. If he misses significant time, the offensive ceiling for the 49ers drops from unstoppable to merely terrifying.

Washington will spend today bracing for the worst possible news on McLaurin. As for the 49ers, they have to figure out how to keep Evans intact for January, because winning in October means nothing if your stars are watching the playoffs in street clothes.