Patrick Willis will likely have season-ending surgery

San Francisco 49ers star inside linebacker Patrick Willis has already missed three games and four weeks with a toe injury that he suffered back in a Week 6 win over the St. Louis Rams, so he’s already been out for a month with an injury that was initially expected to cost him just a couple of weeks. On Sunday, FOX Sports’s Jay Glazer reported that Willis would miss some more time beyond those three games, but now even worse news is being reported about Willis’s status going forward.

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Per sources close to FOX Sports’s Mike Garafolo, Willis will likely get season-ending surgery done on his toe, and that would obviously be a massive loss for the 49ers defense, which has already been beat up all season. The returns of Aldon Smith and NaVorro Bowman should help the Niners in the long run, but the fact that the 49ers won’t be able to count on the eventual return of their leader and star LB is a huge blow to a team that received a boost when they defeated the New Orleans Saints in overtime.

Before suffering this toe injury, Willis recorded 34 tackles, three passes defended, and a pick in six appearances. Rookie Chris Borland has been more than serviceable in Willis’s absence, and he had another strong display in Week 10. Borland and Bowman should form a stout ILB duo, but the expect season-ending surgery for Willis will still significantly hurt this squad.