The San Francisco 49ers (1-2) will meet the St. Louis Rams (1-2) on Thursday Night Football in a matchup that could be crucial to their playoff hopes and chances of winning the NFC West division. The game can be live streamed here free; 49ers fans can listen to the game on KNBR, while Rams fans can tune in to 101 ESPN for the radio broadcast.
The 49ers entered the season with one of the scariest defenses in the league, but have looked toothless in back-to-back blowout losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts.
Now, sackmaster linebacker Aldon Smith has been lost indefinitely after checking into a rehabilitation center following a DUI arrest in which he was also found to be in possession of marijuana.
The prolific pass rusher, who turned in a 19.5 sack season in 2012, has no timetable for a return to the field. "It's not like he's going to be magically cured in a month," a source close to Smith told ESPN. "If his problem is serious enough, a month might not be enough."
The same source continued, "The only timetable on this is him getting well," the source said. "I know football fans don't care about this, but he's 23 years old and he has a full life beyond football. How he recovers from this can literally be the difference between life and death."
Smith apologized to the team and fans in a statement that read:
"I am taking a leave of absence to address my health. I am sorry that I have affected my team, my family and the organization. I will do everything in my power to handle this situation the best way possible. I appreciate the support of the 49ers and our fans."
In Smith's absence, linebackers Corey Lemonier and Dan Skuta are expected to pick up the slack.
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