Michael Crabtree Injury: Updates on 49ers Star's Achilles

Devastating news emerged for the San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday as wide receiver Michael Crabtree reportedly tore his Achilles tendon during Tuesday's OTAs and will undergo surgery to repair the damage, according to USA Today’s Mike Garafolo.  

According to NFL insider Adam Caplan, some of Crabtree’s teammates believe the surgery will be season-ending:

While there is a very real chance Crabtree is forced to miss the entire 2013-14 season, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that all hope isn’t lost for the wide receiver making a comeback this season:

As seen with the quick recoveries of other players facing the same type of Achilles injuries—Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs and Tampa Bay’s Da'Quan Bowers—there's a chance Crabtree returns in 2013.   

The 25-year-old receiver will have to work extremely hard to reach the level of success that Bowers and Suggs found after their injuries last year, but with the 49ers finding so much regular-season and postseason success, the competitive star will want to be on the field as soon as possible.

Crabtree is coming off the best year of his NFL career, earning career highs in receptions (85), yards (1,105) and touchdowns (nine), and the rapport he's developing with young quarterback Colin Kaepernick signaled that the young star was due for an even better season in 2013.

While it’s still a devastating blow to lose the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft for extended time, San Francisco fortunately has a few options at wide receiver to replace Crabtree.

Not only did the team sign fourth-round draft pick and wide receiver prospect Quinton Patton Wednesday (h/t 49ers.com), but San Francisco also traded for veteran Anquan Boldin in the offseason and will look for more production out of second-year player A.J. Jenkins.

Add in the return of Mario Manningham, who is coming off a torn ACL and PCL, and the continued evolution of tight end Vernon Davis into a pass-catching machine, and the 49ers look passable in the receiving group despite this huge loss.

There is always a chance that the 49ers could re-sign Randy Moss on another one-year deal, but with a strong draft and smart offseason moves, this is an injury that should be remedied in house.

As they say in the NFL, next man up. 

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1648471-michael-crabtree-injury-updates-on-49ers-stars-achilles

New Jersey Nets Tennessee Titans