49ers' Tyler Kroft, Lions' John Cominsky to miss time with injuries

Two players in the NFC who were looking to take advantage of opportunities with new teams this season are now expected to miss several weeks due to injury.

Tyler Kroft has been the man for the 49ers at tight end, starting twice to begin the season in place of the injured star, George Kittle. He has never been a strong receiving threat, but his ability to run block has made him a valuable asset to the San Francisco offense. In the team’s Week 2 win over the Seahawks, though, Kroft suffered a sprained MCL. He’s expected “to miss several weeks” because of the knee injury, but due to new injured reserve rules, the veteran will not be placed on IR, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic.

The new rules this year dictate that only eight players can be designated to return from IR, so even though Kroft will be eligible to return after several weeks, the 49ers are choosing to save their designated-to-return IR spots for more valuable players who may end up suffering injuries later on in the season. The timing of Kroft’s injury is not the worst it could possibly be as Kittle is set to return this week from injury. Kittle is mostly known for his receiving ability, but is a decent run-blocker in his own right and will help to vacate any deficit resulting from Kroft’s absence.

Meanwhile, the Lions will be down one of their rotational defensive linemen this Sunday when they play the Vikings and, according to Justin Rogers of The Detroit News, a recent surgery will hold him out for a while. Defensive lineman John Cominsky is dealing with a wrist injury that required the surgery. Cominsky may not be a household name, but when he was put on waivers after three years of playing with the Falcons, Cominsky drew the interest of one-fourth of the league, as eight teams were intrigued enough to put in claims on the former Golden Eagle out of Division II Charleston in West Virginia. 

The Lions were second in the waiver order and were granted the 6-foot-5 lineman, but the Commanders, Colts, Browns, Texans, Cardinals, Vikings and Bengals all attempted to bring him in. With Cominsky out, Lions head coach Dan Campbell suggested that the starting four defensive linemen will be backed up by the likes of Austin Bryant and undrafted rookie Demetrius Taylor.