NFL rookie wide receiver Jordan Watkins was absent from the San Francisco 49ers preseason practice in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday with injury. Watkins, whose performance in training camp thus far had him in line to be a key contributor, was out with an ankle injury.
Reports out of training camp indicate that Watkins suffered a high ankle sprain and will be out for some time. He is expected to miss about a month.
"He didn't even feel it after the game," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters. "He was surprised. He actually reported some other things, came in the next day, saying how it was a little sore, maybe we should look at it. And we weren't that worried about it until we got an MRI and it showed a high-ankle.
"...It was really unfortunate for Watkins to get that setback because I really believed he could have helped us early, but he needed the practice to do it, to be able to help us. It's a minor setback for him. He'll get back. Hopefully, he's back around then, but he'll still need to pick up on the practice time and stuff like that, and it gives opportunities for a lot more guys."
Former Ole Miss wide receiver Jordan Watkins
Watkins caught a 50-yard touchdown pass in San Francisco's exhibition loss Saturday to the Denver Broncos.
The 49ers selected the former Ole Miss standout in the 4th round of this year's NFL Draft. In 2024, he played in 12 games for the Rebels, starting at wide receiver in eight. Watkins led the team in receiving touchdowns with nine, tied for fourth in Ole Miss single-season history and the most by a Rebel since AJ Brown's record 11 in 2017. He was second on the team in receiving yards (906) and third in receptions (49). He averaged 75.5 yards per game and 18.5 yards per catch. Watkins recorded an Ole Miss career receiving line of 142 receptions for 2,096 yards and 14 touchdowns, an average of 55.2 per game and 14.8 per catch in 38 games played and 29 starts.