SEATTLE – Cornerback Jimmie Ward is expected to undergo an MRI examination to determine the severity of the right quadriceps injury he sustained while running down to cover a kickoff in the second quarter.
“I know it was a non-contact injury,” 49ers coach Chip Kelly said Sunday, following the 49ers’ 37-18 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. “I saw it in front of our bench, he was running and went down. From the preliminary indications, I think it’s a muscle.
“I don’t think it’s . . . sometimes you see an ACL or something like that. But I did see him go down in front of our bench, and I was caught off-guard by it, too.”
Keith Reaser entered the game in place of Ward and played every snap in the second half. Ward was the 49ers' first-round draft pick in 2014. He was converted from safety in the offseason and earned a starting job at cornerback.
Tight end Vance McDonald sustained a hip injury in the second quarter and did not return. He will undergo further evaluation to determine the status of his injury.
