The San Francisco 49ers season would have suffered a fatal blow.

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo left Sunday's game against the Chiefs in the fourth quarter after his left knee seemed to twist at the end of a ground race.

Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said afterwards that the team feared that Garropolo would tear his ACL.

The new face of this franchise, Garoppolo, was injured near the sideline at the end of a 13-yard run with 5:27 left to try to change direction. He walked cautiously into the medical tent on the San Francisco Bank before being transported to the locker room.

"He told me to lead these guys," said backup quarterback C. J. Beathard about his conversation with Garoppolo after the game.

Garoppolo signed a $ 137.5 million five-year contract during the off-season, making him the highest paid player in the league at that time. If he is absent for the year, he will join his new teammate Jerick McKinnon, who tore his ACL at the end of the pre-season, on the set.

The Chiefs got a 38-27 win to send the 49ers to 1-2.

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Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis

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