San Francisco 49ers offensive guard Mike Iupati sustained a fractured ankle in his team's loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night.
Mike Iupati injury update: 49ers guard has fractured ankle
The NFC Championship game was a disappointment for the 49ers, but it also resulted in a severe injury to star offensive guard Mike Iupati.
Tom Pennington
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Iupati’s injury was confirmed post-game by head coach Jim Harbaugh via Mike Maiocco of CSN. The 26-year-old offensive lineman will have plenty of time to rehabilitate, but will be unable to participate in the Pro Bowl which takes place on Jan. 26. Iupati was named to the roster for the second straight year following a season where he was integral to the 49ers’ interior blocking despite missing four regular season games due to injury.
David Fucillo of Niners Nation says the timeline shouldn't be concerning for next season if it's a simple fracture. He writes, "We'll have more on the timeline, but as long as it was a clean break, he'll have plenty of time to get back to 100 percent for next season."
The fracture happened in the second quarter of the NFC Championship when Iupati was blocking on a run play and had his leg rolled in the pile. He left the field with the assistance of team trainers, but appeared unable to put weight on his leg.
There is no official announcement on how long recovery will take, however if the ankle injury was a routine break he should be able to return at full strength when the 49ers open training camp for the 2014 season.
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