Niners Defense in Trouble Without Okuayinonu | NFL News

0:00It's September 6th. You're listening to NFL News today, AI-powered football coverage. I'm Cory with the story. Alright, so the San Francisco 49ers are in Australia, gearing up to kick off their season against the Rams. It's a big matchup, two top teams, but here's the kicker. The Niners are actually looking like the underdogs heading into this one. Now injuries are always a storyline in the league, and this year is no different for San Francisco. We're hearing mostly good news on that front, except for one key player. Veteran defensive end Sam Oqainonu didn't even make the trip down under because of a foot issue. Turns out that foot injury is serious enough that the 49ers have placed Oqainonu on injured reserve. This means he's going to be sidelined for at least the first four games of the season, which is a tough blow for their defensive line. This comes at a time when the 49ers are already a bit thin on the defensive front. As like Nick Bosa, Keon White and Romello Hyte are also dealing with injuries and are questionable for the opener.

1:01So with Oqainonu out, others are going to have to step up big time. With Oqainonu sidelined, expect to see more snaps for players like Khalid Karim, who they just signed. The Rams are looking strong, so the rest of the 49ers defensive line really needs to hold it down while Oqainonu recovers.