Tag: 49ers injuries

49ers DE Dee Ford will not play vs. New York Jets

The San Francisco 49ers won’t have one of their key pass rushers when they take on the New York Jets.

The 49ers on Saturday suffered another major blow on the injury front leading into their Week 2 matchup with the New York Jets. Defensive end Dee Ford, who was originally listed as questionable with a neck injury, has been downgraded to ‘out’ for the 49ers’ second game.

Ford showed up on the practice report after missing Thursday’s session with a neck injury. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said he wasn’t too concerned about it. Head coach Kyle Shanahan echoed similar sentiments Friday. Now Ford officially will not play in Week 2.

This will be the sixth game Ford has missed for San Francisco since joining the club last season. A year ago he battled a knee and quad issue all year, and missed multiple games late in the season with a hamstring ailment.

Ford in the season opener this year had just one pressure in 28 pass rushes. Last season in 11 games he had 25 pressures and seven sacks according to Pro Football Focus.

The 49ers elected not to elevate DE Dion Jordan off the practice squad to replace Ford, so San Francisco will enter Sunday with only Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa and Kerry Hyder Jr. as the available defensive ends. The result will probably be extra playing time for Hyder and some additional snaps for Armstead on the outside.

Center Hroniss Grasu was elevated from the practice squad for the second consecutive week. He’ll offer insurance on the offensive line in the event that center Ben Garland is unable to go Sunday. Garland missed last week but was a full participant all three days of practice leading up to the Jets game.

The banged up 49ers will limp into MetLife Stadium on Sunday for a 10:00 am Pacific Time kickoff.

49ers injury report: George Kittle ruled out vs. Jets

The 49ers won’t have All-Pro TE George Kittle vs. the New York Jets.

The 49ers on Friday officially announced that tight end George Kittle will not play in Week 2 vs. the New York Jets.

Kittle sprained his knee at the end of the first half of the season opener, but he missed only one snap and played the entire second half. He told reporters after the game he felt fantastic, and head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated Kittle won’t need to practice to play. The All-Pro tight end didn’t practice at all during the week before officially being ruled out.

According to Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee, Kittle won’t travel with the team to New York, and will rejoin the team in West Virginia to return to practice next week while they’re staying at the Greenbrier before facing the Giants in Week 3.

Defensive end Dee Ford is also questionable with a neck injury. He missed Thursday and Friday’s sessions.

Here’s the full Week 2 injury report:

Out

TE George Kittle (knee)
CB Jason Verrett (hamstring)

Questionable

DE Dee Ford (neck)

The good news for San Francisco is that cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and center Ben Garland all appear to be available for Sunday’s game.

Aiyuk and Garland were full participants in practice all week after missing the opener with a hamstring injury and an ankle injury, respectively.

Witherspoon suffered a concussion in the opener and was out of practice Wednesday, limited Thursday and a full go Friday. He hasn’t cleared concussion protocol officially, but he’s expected to by Sunday.

The 49ers and Jets kick off from MetLife Stadium at 10:00 am Pacific Time on Sunday.

49ers officially sign Mohamed Sanu, place Richie James on IR

The San Francisco 49ers officially signed Mohamed Sanu and placed Richie James Jr. on Injured Reserve with a hamstring injury.

The 49ers on Friday officially announced the signing of wide receiver Mohamed Sanu to their 53-man roster. To make room for Sanu, they placed wide receiver Richie James Jr. on Injured Reserve.

Sanu officially signing indicates he passed his three required COVID-19 tests, which means he should be able to practice with the team Friday. His agent on Tuesday announced that the veteran receiver agreed to a one-year deal with San Francisco.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t rule out Sanu playing as early as Sunday, though it doesn’t sound like he’ll have a significant role unless there’s an injury or a player struggles. The 49ers will head to New York to face the Jets with Kendrick Bourne, Dante Pettis, Trent Taylor, Brandon Aiyuk and Sanu in their receiving corps.

James’ hamstring injury happened during the season opener, and now he’ll be out at least three weeks by going on IR. His placement there opened a roster spot for Sanu. James is the second wide receiver to go on IR this season, joining Deebo Samuel who was placed there before Week 1. The earliest James would be able to return is Week 5 vs. the Dolphins.

Without James last week the 49ers relied on running back Jerick McKinnon to return kicks. Pettis and Taylor traded off punt return duties.

San Francisco leaves with their new-look receiving corps for New Jersey after Friday’s practice. They’ll kickoff against the Jets from MetLife Stadium at 10:00 am Pacific Time.

49ers practice report: Dee Ford misses practice with neck injury

The San Francisco 49ers were without defensive end Dee Ford in Thursday’s practice.

A surprise name landed on the 49ers’ practice report Thursday. Defensive end Dee Ford missed the session with a neck injury after participating in full Wednesday.

Ford spent most of last season working through quad and knee injuries, and had surgery in the offseason to clean up a chronic knee tendinitis issue. Now there’s a new ailment he’s dealing with.

Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh told reporters after Thursday’s session that he wasn’t too concerned with Ford’s injury though. A better indicator of his availability for Sunday will come Friday.

A bit of good news for the 49ers and their ailing secondary was the return of cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon who went into concussion protocol Wednesday after a hit in last Sunday’s season opener. He wasn’t a full go, but he did participate in a blue non-contact jersey.

Here’s Thursday’s full practice report:

Did not practice

DE Dee Ford (neck)
CB Jason Verrett (hamstring)
WR Richie James (hamstring)
TE George Kittle (knee)

Limited participation

CB Ahkello Witherspoon (concussion)

George Kittle won’t practice leading up to Week 2, but that doesn’t mean he won’t play

San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle won’t practice with a knee injury, but he could play Sunday vs. the Jets.

George Kittle’s knee sprain is likely going to keep him out of practice all week as the 49ers gear up for their Week 2 showdown with the New York Jets. Typically players who miss an entire week of practice won’t play in that week’s game. With Kittle it’s a different story.

The severity of the sprain isn’t known, but he did return Sunday after a hit from Cardinals safety Budda Baker and played the entire second half.

His week of practice won’t matter if he’s able to suit up Sunday according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.

“Yeah, Kittle, he’s battling. We thought it’d be all right, woke up the next day a little sore. He fully expects to be there Sunday like he always does,” Shanahan said. “Just like he always plays through the game when it happens, but we’ll give him the whole week. Always love to get them out there on Friday. We’ll see how that goes. Friday’s just a walkthrough anyways, but Kittle is one guy that if he’s ready to go on Sunday and the doctors say he’s good to go, we have no problem with him going without practicing.”

Kittle was hurt on the first play of last year’s Week 9 matchup with the Cardinals in Arizona. In that case he popped a capsule in his knee and chipped a bone in his ankle. He played almost the entire game, but missed the next two.

San Francisco is already down one of their offensive weapons in Deebo Samuel, so losing Kittle would be a significant blow. While the 49ers won’t risk his long-term health to have him in the lineup, they’ll make every effort to ensure he’s ready to go by 10:00am Pacific Time on Sunday, even if it means him not setting foot on the practice field.

One option available for the 49ers if Kittle doesn’t play is Jordan Reed. He only played 10 snaps in the season opener because the team is easing him into work after he had a truncated training camp.

Shanahan said there’s a possibility Reed gets more action if Kittle or another tight is unavailable.

“Jordan’s coming along as planned,” Shanahan said. “He got a late start to camp. We put him in very slowly and that was with some of his injuries that he had from the past. We planned to play him like we did there in the game and we’ll see if he gets a little bit more playing time if there’s less tight ends up.”

Report: Richard Sherman to go on IR with leg issue

The 49ers won’t have Richard Sherman for at least three games due to a leg issue per Mike Garafolo.

The 49ers won’t have cornerback Richard Sherman for at least three games according to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo. The team will put him on Injured Reserve with a leg issue per the report, although there are no specifics on what the ailment is.

Sherman missed only four snaps in the 49ers’ Week 1 loss to the Cardinals, and it’s unclear when the injury occurred.

The 49ers aren’t particularly deep at cornerback with Jason Verrett also nursing a hamstring injury. Dontae Johnson was elevated off the practice squad for the season opener to replace him. It stands to reason he’ll be up again Sunday unless the 49ers make a move to add a corner to their depth chart.

Sherman was a Second-Team All-Pro last season while tying for the team lead in interceptions with two. According to Pro Football Focus, Sherman allowed one catch for nine yards on two targets vs. Arizona on Sunday. The four snaps he missed Sunday were the final four plays of the game according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport said the 49ers aren’t anticipating Sherman missing more than a few weeks. Placing him on IR will open up a spot on the 53-man roster. The team currently has 52 player on the 53-man roster since Deebo Samuel was never replaced for his IR stint. They’ll be down to 51 once Sherman officially moves.

This is a developing story, and we will provide updates as they come available.

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George Kittle has knee sprain, status for Week 2 unknown

George Kittle injured his knee vs. the Cardinals and his status for Week 2 is unknown.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday announced tight end George Kittle sprained his knee during Sunday’s loss to Arizona. His status for Week 2 against the Jets in New York is unknown. Kittle will be evaluated Wednesday to see if he’s able to practice, and his week of practice will determine whether he plays in the second game.

Kittle went down late in the first half Sunday when he jumped for a high throw from Jimmy Garoppolo. Cardinals safety Budda Baker hit Kittle low and bent his knee awkwardly. The tight end jogged gingerly off the field before sitting the bench and getting worked on by trainers.

He returned for the entire second half and wound up only missing one offensive snap, but he wasn’t targeted in the passing game. He finished the game with four catches for 44 yards.

San Francisco is already struggling to find pass catchers. Deebo Samuel, the team’s leading wide receiver from last season, is on Injured Reserve with a foot injury, and rookie WR Brandon Aiyuk and WR Richie James Jr. are both working through hamstring injuries. If Kittle is unavailable for either one or both of the team’s two games in New York vs. the Jets and Giants, finding victories in those contests would become a much more daunting task.

Four 49ers who have gone more than 600 days since last game will play vs. Cardinals

Trent Williams, Jerick McKinnon, Trent Taylor and Jerick McKinnon will all return to the field Sunday for the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers are on a redemption tour after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. A quartet of players on their roster are on something of a redemption tour of their own.

Offensive tackle Trent Williams, tight end Jordan Reed, wide receiver Trent Taylor and running back Jerick McKinnon should all suit up and play for San Francisco in Sunday’s season opener vs. the Arizona Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium. As ESPN’s Nick Wagoner pointed out on Twitter, none of those four player have played a regular-season game in the last 600-plus days.

Williams and Taylor have both gone 623 days since they last played in the regular season. For Reed it’s been 644 days. McKinnon is at a whopping 966 days.

Both Williams and Taylor both played in their teams’ 2018 season finales. Williams went on to miss all of 2019 due to a cancerous growth on his skull. Taylor suffered a Jones fracture before the first preseason game last year and wound up missing the entire season.

Reed was active for Washington’s Week 14 game in 2018, but a toe strain in that Week 14 contest sidelined him for the rest of the year. He was on track to return last season before a concussion – his seventh – in a preseason game vs. the Falcons forced him to sit out the season.

McKinnon’s story is a familiar one for 49ers fans. He signed with San Francisco before the 2018 season to be a focal point of their offense. A torn ACL a week before the regular season was set to begin ended his year. Complications with that surgically repaired ACL in last year’s training camp required another surgery that ended his 2019 campaign. He hasn’t played since Week 17 of the 2017 season.

Now all four are aiming for a different story this year. They’re all fully healthy and went through training camp without any major issues. If Williams, Taylor, Reed and McKinnon can stay healthy and effective this season – they’ll get their redemption while working as vital pieces in the 49ers quest for their own.

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49ers place WR Deebo Samuel on Injured Reserve

The San Francisco 49ers on Saturday placed WR Deebo Samuel on Injured Reserve with a foot injury.

The 49ers won’t have wide receiver Deebo Samuel for at least the first three games after the club placed him on Injured Reserve on Saturday. New IR rules during the COVID-19 pandemic lowered the minimum amount of time a player had to spend on IR from six weeks to three weeks.

Samuel spent all of training camp on the Non-Football Injury list after suffering a foot injury in the offseason. He was activated off NFI after final roster cuts, giving some reason for optimism that he’d play in the season opener.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday indicated Samuel hadn’t been placed on IR because the team was confident he’d be back before the required three week window. They were also unable to put him on IR right away because of a league rule about players who were activated off the NFI. Samuel didn’t practice at all in the week leading up to the opener, and now he’ll be sidelined for the next two weeks as well.

There’s no indication that anything changed with Samuel’s injury or recovery. If he comes back in Week 4 it’ll be near the back end of the originally reported 12-16 week timetable for his return. It appears the 49ers are aiming to ensure Samuel will be on the field permanently once he does get back rather than risking a potentially longer-term injury.

There’s been no corresponding move to replace him on the 53-man roster. Kevin White and Jauan Jennings are the two wide receivers available in-house on the practice squad.

Samuel is slated to miss the opener vs. the Arizona Cardinals, along with both games against the Jets and Giants on the 49ers’ East Coast swing the second and third weeks of the season.

Last season as a rookie Samuel played in 15 games and posted 57 catches, 802 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the air. He also rushed for 159 yards and three scores on 14 carries.

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How long will Deebo Samuel be out?

San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel could return from his foot injury soon.

The 49ers won’t have wide receiver Deebo Samuel for their season opener against the Arizona Cardinals while he continues nursing a foot fracture he suffered in June. Samuel didn’t practice in the week leading up to the opener and was officially ruled out Friday.

It was always a touch optimistic to expect him back by Week 1. Sunday’s opener will be right up against the 12-week mark since his injury. The reported timeline for his return was 12-16 weeks. The 49ers’ training staff is relatively conservative and Jones fractures like the one Samuel suffered are a potentially tricky injury for a wide receiver.

The bigger issue for the 49ers with their leading wide receiver from last season was whether he’d miss extended time. His activation off the Non-Football Injury list indicated he wouldn’t need the full six weeks he would’ve been required to sit out had he started the season on the NFI.

While he won’t play Week 1, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after Friday’s practice that optimism remains about Samuel’s return early in the season.

“Because we believed he had a good chance to play this week. It didn’t go the way we hoped, but he’ll still be day-to-day going on that next week,” Shanahan said when asked why Samuel wasn’t placed on Injured Reserve once the season started. In that event he only would’ve had to miss three weeks under the adjusted rules forr the COVID-19 pandemic. “We felt there was a chance, so to make a decision that would be three weeks when we thought he did have a chance. We didn’t think that would be very smart, but we’ll see how next week goes. Also, it’s something with the rules that because it happened before training camp started, which is considered non-football injury, there was some reason we couldn’t do that, either.”

While a rule may have prevented them from placing Samuel on IR anyway, Shanahan saying they didn’t think Samuel would need a full three weeks out is a good sign for his availability moving forward.

San Francisco isn’t going to rush him back if they think it’ll affect his long-term availability. Foot injuries are also delicate because they’re generally hard to play through.

We don’t know for sure about Samuel’s status going into next week, but signs point to him returning sometime in the next couple weeks. The quicker the 49ers can get him back, the better it is for their offense. He was a key cog in that unit last season while racking up 802 receiving yards, 159 rushing yards and six total touchdowns. San Francisco can handle a game or two without Samuel. It’s harder to envision their long-term offensive success if he’s sidelined for more than a couple weeks.

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