Patrick Willis Injury: Updates on 49ers Star's Wrist and Return

Updates from Sunday, Sept. 28

Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group updated Patrick Willis' status for Week 4:

Updates from Thursday, Sept. 25

Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee has the latest on Willis' injury:

Original Text

Few players in the entire NFL are as important to their team as Patrick Willis is to the San Francisco 49ers and their vaunted defense, but the team may be in jeopardy of losing another key member of their formerly-feared defensive front.

Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area provides more details:

The 49ers' front seven is already missing Aldon Smith, who is carrying out a 9-game suspension, as well as Navorro Bowman and Glenn Dorsey, who are both injured. Losing Willis for any amount of time would be a huge blow to a 49ers defense looking to get back on track.

With a huge matchup against the Eagles in front of them, the 1-2 49ers can't afford to be without the face of their defense.

Willis’ injury is certainly noteworthy because he is an absolute physical beast on the field and generally considered one of the best linebackers (if not the best) in all of football. In his first seven seasons in the league, he registered 703 tackles and 213 assisted tackles to go along with 20.5 sacks, seven interceptions, 52 pass defenses and 16 forced fumbles.

However, his value goes beyond his statistical production on the field.

Willis, 29, is the emotional leader and captain of the 49ers defense from the interior linebacker position and flies to the ball on nearly every play. Calling someone the heart and soul of a team may be cliche, but it certainly applies to Willis.

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

He was the 2007 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and has been named to the Pro Bowl every single year of his career. Willis counts First-Team All-Pro appearances to his resume from 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 as well and likely had eyes on another spot this season.

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Willis’ injury is even more unfortunate because San Francisco is looking to finally get over the top this season.

The 49ers were 41-14-1 (including playoffs) under Jim Harbaugh entering the 2014 season and are annually loaded with talent, but they lost in the NFC Championship Game two of the past three years and the Super Bowl the other year. They have come tantalizingly close to the ultimate goal, and finally grabbing that sixth Lombardi Trophy would be the perfect way to open up their new stadium.

Willis actually spoke about the positive feeling he had about this season’s team before the year started, via Tom Pelissero of USA Today:

"

Who knows how you're going to get there? You could go undefeated, which is very rare, or you could get in at like 8-8. But I just feel like we have a team that can do something special if we just stick together and stay together. I don't know why. I just feel it.

"

Now all Willis is feeling is pain after his injury.

Interestingly enough, Willis’ durability and ability to stay on the field is one of his best traits. He played all 16 games in the 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2012 seasons, 15 games in 2010, 14 games in 2013 and 13 games in 2011.

How many contests he plays in 2014 remains to be seen after this latest setback. San Francisco certainly needs him back if it hopes to make the NFL’s final four for the fourth straight campaign. 

All stats courtesy of Willis' Pro-Football-Reference page.