The 49ers on Monday got some good injury news in the aftermath of their Week 5 win over the Cowboys.
Left guard Aaron Banks exited the game early and was listed as questionable to return with what was originally thought to be a biceps injury. He never re-entered, and after the game head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed some optimism that Banks avoided a catastrophic injury to his arm.
In a conference call Monday, Shanahan confirmed that Banks avoided a major injury. He said the left guard has a mild shoulder strain and is considered day-to-day.
A biceps injury could have potentially cost Banks the rest of the 2023 season. Veteran Jon Feliciano filled in for him vs. Dallas and did a fine job. Banks has been one of San Francisco’s best offensive linemen since the start of last season though and losing him would’ve created a significant void on that unit. Not to mention Feliciano is the team’s only backup center so that would’ve made the 49ers even thinner up front.
Banks’ availability for Sunday’s game in Cleveland is still up in the air, but he won’t be out long-term which is a big win for San Francisco.
The only other update from Shanahan on the injury front was that running back Elijah Mitchell, who’s missed the last two games with a knee injury, is still day-to-day.
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