San Francisco 49ers star inside linebacker Patrick Willis left last week’s game agains the St. Louis Rams with a toe injury, and talented rookie Chris Borland did a really nice job of filling in for him. That allows the Rams to feel better about not having Willis out there this week on Sunday Night Football against the Denver Broncos, as Willis has been officially ruled out by the Niners, along with Mike Iupati, who suffered a concussion against the Rams.
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The Rams injured Willis, and his projected return date is also when the 49ers play their NFC West rivals next. According to the Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrows, Willis stated that he has a strained toe, as opposed to a turf toe, and will play in the team’s Week 9 game against the Rams, as the 49ers have a bye in Week 8.
This is good news for the 49ers, though they will surely miss Willis this week against the Broncos despite Borland’s own talent and innate feel for the game. So far this season, Willis has 34 tackles, a pick, and three passes defended, and he’s as reliable as ever. His toe injury is just a one-game absence, and he was never really expected to play this week after needing an MRI following Monday’s victory.