By Joe Lami

Unfortunately, the 38-27 beatdown to the Chiefs isn’t the biggest loss the 49ers took on Sunday, as Jimmy Garoppolo went down with what could be a season-ending knee injury.

Driving late in the fourth quarter, down by 35-24 and inside the red zone, Garoppolo cut his right near the sideline attempting to make more out of a scramble before his left knee buckled. Garoppolo made a collision with Chiefs’ corner, Steven Nelson on the play before he hobbled off the field.

The fear is that he suffered a torn left ACL. He is scheduled to have an MRI on Monday.

Garoppolo would exit the game on a crucial 4th and goal, leaving backup C.J. Beathard to make an incredible connection with George Kittle, only to be taken away by the team’s 13th penalty of the day. San Francisco would have to settle for a field goal while a cart rushed the 49ers’ franchise quarterback to the locker room.

The injury to Garoppolo came during a late comeback for the Niners. After going down 35-7 in the first half, where penalties, amazing plays by Patrick Mahomes, and a sluggish offense cost the Niners, San Francisco was pushing right back.

It was an abysmal first half of football for the Niners, in which they surrendered 35 points for just the eighth time in franchise history. Mahomes threw all three of his touchdowns in the first, pushing his season total to 13, while the 49ers nine penalties for 109 yards just added fuel to the fire for the first-year starter. The Chiefs finished the half with 22 first downs on their way to scoring a TD on all five drives.

The Niners lone first-half touchdown came on a beautiful play-action pass, where Garoppolo connected with Kyle Juszczyk on a wide-open play that would get the 49ers’ offense going.

Jimmy G continued the pushback in the second half finding Goodwin for his first touchdown of the season. Alfred Morris found paydirt on a three-yard scamper, bringing the Niners within 11.

All was going well for the Niners in the second half until Garoppolo went down. Early reports suggest it’s dire, making Sunday’s nightmare turn into San Francisco’s doomsday.

To make matters worse, Richard Sherman also went down on Sunday with a calf injury in the second quarter. He was listed as questionable to return, but the hobbling Sherman never got off the sideline.

The season is now in the balance for San Francisco and what was supposed to be a building year for the Niners may have ended before it ever really got going as the 49ers’ rebuild may have just been reset to zero.