The 49ers had high hopes for rookie receiver Quinton Patton, but this season is not going according to plan.
Patton caught his first pass of the season on Thursday night against the Rams, but the 49ers have announced that Patton broke a metatarsal bone in his his foot on the play.
The good news is that Patton’s injury is not season-ending. Coach Jim Harbaugh said Patton will stay on the 53-man roster rather than go on injured reserve. The 49ers cannot use the injured reserve with return designation on Patton because they already used it on rookie linebacker Nick Moody, who is recovering from a broken right hand.
A fourth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech, Patton was dealing with a broken finger in training camp. When healthy he has shown promise, and he appeared to be moving up the 49ers’ depth chart and was getting his most extended playing time of the season on offense before leaving Thursday’s game.