Titans Opponent Suffers Serious Injury

The Tennessee Titans won their preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers, as the defending NFC champions lost a notable piece in the secondary due to injury.

Sep 12, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Ambry Thomas (20) returns the ball during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports / Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Titans suffered some bumps and bruises in Saturday's preseason win over the San Francisco 49ers but it was the defending NFC champs that left Nashville with arguably the most notable injury.

Niners cornerback Ambry Thomas suffered a broken forearm in the 17-13 loss to the Titans. It doesn't appear to be a season-ending injury, but San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said that "it will be some time" until Thomas returns to action, as he will undergo surgery to repair the damages.

Thomas finished the game with one total tackle.

A third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Michigan, Thomas has played in some big moments during his three-year career. He appeared in all three of San Francisco's playoff games last season, including the Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He's started four of the five postseason games he's played in.

Thomas started six of 15 regular-season games last year, tallying a career-high 43 total tackles, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble, seven pass breakups and one interception.

During his rookie season in 2021, Thomas appeared in the 20-17 Week 16 loss to the Titans in Nashville. He played 62 defensive snaps while adding one solo tackle and two pass breakups, but Tennessee got the last laugh as kicker Randy Bullock hit a 44-yard field goal with four seconds left to secure the win. The Titans had been down 10-0 at halftime but rallied thanks to a big night from A.J. Brown and stifling defense for nearly the entire second half.

It's unclear when Thomas will be back in action, but it appears likely that he could return at some point this season. The 49ers will continue the preseason on Sunday when they host the New Orleans Saints before closing out the three-game exhibition slate on Friday, Aug. 23 against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.

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