49ers left tackle Joe Staley wasn’t able to travel back to California with his teammates after Sunday afternoon’s loss to the Eagles because he was still being evaluated by doctors after suffering a facial injury.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that Staley was at the airport in Philadelphia for a flight home on Monday morning and was in “good spirits” after spending the night in a hotel. Staley suffered a fractured orbital bone when he was blocked by Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox during Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills’ interception return for a touchdown in the first half of the game.
Maiocco reports that Staley won’t need surgery to repair the injury, which created a lot of swelling but did not result in any damage to his eye. Staley also had a gash under his eye that was stitched up during the game according to FOX Sports, although Maiocco reports it was actually glued shut.
There’s no word on how much time Staley is expected to miss, but he was one of several 49ers players to exit Sunday’s loss with injuries. Safety Jimmie Ward broke his arm, right tackle Garry Gilliam left with a knee injury and defensive lineman Solomon Thomas suffered an MCL sprain during a painful day all around for the Niners.