Tag: 49ers injuries

49ers release WR JJ Nelson with injury settlement

JJ Nelson’s brief stint with the 49ers came to an end when he was released with an injury settlement.

JJ Nelson’s short time with the 49ers came to an end Sunday when the club released him with an injury settlement.

Nelson was signed along with WR Tavon Austin on August 15 to help San Francisco’s ailing WR corps. His stint with the club didn’t last long though. He suffered a knee injury that was initially only supposed to keep him out for 2-4 weeks. The team placed him on Injured Reserve on August 30.

One option for Nelson was to spend the year on IR with the 49ers and rehab in their facility. He wouldn’t have been eligible to return with San Francisco this season. By reaching a settlement he becomes an unrestricted free agent and can suit up for another club in 2020.

Nelson caught four balls for 36 yards and one touchdown in two games with the Raiders last season. Before that he was with the Cardinals for four years after the selected him in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. He tallied 81 catches for 1,439 yards and 10 touchdowns in 56 games with Arizona.

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49ers re-sign DL after WR JJ Nelson goes on Injured Reserve

JJ Nelson is on injured reserve, so the 49ers signed Alex Barrett to fill the open roster spot.

It sounded initially like 49ers wide receiver JJ Nelson would only miss a few weeks with a knee injury. Nelson’s injury wound up being more serious though and Sunday he was placed on Injured Reserve. Defensive lineman Alex Barrett was re-signed to take Nelson’s roster spot.

Nelson was signed during camp to help the team’s depth at wide receiver while injuries blasted the position. He was not likely to make the roster, but the new practice squad rules could’ve afforded him an opportunity to stick with the team and land on the roster if more injuries cropped up. However, going on Injured Reserve during camp will end Nelson’s season with the 49ers. His contract was only for one year, so there’s an opportunity for the club to re-sign him if they liked what they saw from him in camp.

With a roster spot open and depth short on the defensive line, the 49ers re-signed defensive lineman Alex Barrett. This is the third time this offseason they’ve scooped up Barrett after releasing him. He also spent time with the team on the practice squad last year.

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George Kittle misses practice for precautionary reasons

George Kittle missed Friday’s practice, but there’s no major injury concern for the 49ers’ star TE.

The 49ers didn’t have tight end George Kittle in Friday’s practice at Levi’s Stadium, but there’s no reason for concern with the star tight end. While San Francisco has seen their list of injured and unavailable players pile up over the first couple weeks of camp, Kittle was out Friday so the team could protect the All-Pro from himself.

After Kittle experienced some hamstring tightness, the 49ers decided it was better to sit him out for a day than try and get him to take it easy since downshifting isn’t really in his makeup.

“Yeah, he’s good with all the testing, so there’s nothing pulled or strained, just tightness,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after Friday’s session. “The way George moves and the way he goes, he only knows one way. So, when he’s tight, we’re going to protect him from himself and wait until he’s not tight.”

There are multiple reasons San Francisco would be extremely cautious with Kittle. First, he’s their top pass catcher and best offensive player. Second, they’ve already been banged up at tight end and losing their top one would be something close to insurmountable.

With the regular season set to kick off just over two weeks after Friday’s practice, there was no need to push Kittle and risk turning muscle tightness into a strain or something worse that could sideline him for the regular season. As long as Kittle is fully healthy for Week 1, his missed training camp sessions don’t matter much.

49ers TE Ross Dwelley, DL DJ Jones miss practice

Ross Dwelley and DJ Jones both missed Saturday’s practice with injuries.

The 49ers were without two of their five tight ends in Saturday’s practice. Ross Dwelley, last year’s No. 2 TE, missed the session with a foot injury. DJ Jones was also out, but he did receive good news about the shoulder injury that forced him to leave Friday’s practice early.

Dwelley was a key player for the 49ers last year because of his versatility as a blocker. When fullback Kyle Juszczyk went down, Dwelley took on fullback duties. He also slotted into the starting TE role for two games when George Kittle was out.

The 49ers are already pretty thin at tight end after releasing Daniel Helm and with Jordan Reed still doing individual work before entering full practices. Losing Dwelley for an extended period would be a tough blow for San Francisco’s offense.

He’s not much of a factor as a pass catcher, but he’s valuable as a blocker. He’s also the most experienced player at the position behind Kittle. Sixth-round pick Charlie Woerner and undrafted rookie Chase Harrell are their only other options with Dwelley and Reed out of practice.

Jones’ MRI on his shoulder came back clean, which is good news for the 49ers’ starting nose tackle. He was driven to the ground on a goal line play late in Friday’s practice and left with a shoulder injury. While his shoulder is healthy, he was put into concussion protocol and will have to clear that before returning to practice.

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49ers injury update: DJ Jones hurt, 3 others unavailable for season opener

The 49ers injury news from Kyle Shanahan wasn’t positive Thursday.

Kyle Shanahan had a platter of rough injury updates following Thursday’s practice. He said DJ Jones left the session early with a shoulder injury, and three currently hurt 49ers won’t be available Week 1.

Jones took a hit during goal-line work according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. He was having a strong season at nose tackle last year before a high ankle sprain in Week 14 ended his year. The 49ers are relatively thin at nose tackle, so a major injury to Jones would be a significant blow to San Francisco’s defensive front. The Athletic’s Matt Barrows said rookie Javon Kinlaw slid over to the nose tackle spot in Jones’ absence.

The extent of Jones’ injury was unknown immediately following practice.

Shanahan also gave an update on a few 49ers currently on injured lists. He said wide receiver Richie James Jr., defensive lineman Jullian Taylor and center Weston Richburg would all be out for the start of the year.

James will begin on the Non-Football Injury list after breaking his hand during an offseason workout away from the team. Taylor and Richburg will both start on the Physically Unable to Perform list after season-ending knee injuries late last season.

Players who begin on injured lists are required to stay there for the first six weeks, at which point the team can open their three-week practice window. The player can either be activated during that window or put on season-ending Injured Reserve at the end of it.

The 49ers have added three wide receivers this offseason to help make up for some of their injuries at the position. James didn’t have a huge role as a pass catcher, but he did serve as the primary returner on punts and kickoffs.

Taylor had a relatively limited role on the defensive line last year, but he’s shown some promising signs and could see more opportunities once he’s healthy. The 49ers haven’t added a direct replacement for him.

Richburg was replaced last year by Ben Garland who’s dealing with an ankle injury. Garland should be back for Week 1 though. Richburg was having a very good year last year before a torn patellar tendon against the Saints in Week 14 ended his season prematurely. He figures to slot back in at the starting center spot once his practice window opens.

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49ers place Jalen Hurd on IR, add 4 players, waive 2 others

The 49ers injury issues forced them to make a slew of roster moves.

The 49ers on Thursday made a flurry of roster moves ahead of their morning practice. Wednesday came with a slew of reported additions that were made official, along with the placement of wide receiver Jalen Hurd on Injured Reserve.

Hurd tore his ACL on the second day of padded practices when he was working on a side field with trainers. The injury and subsequent IR stint will end his season.

San Francisco added a trio of players who were previously reported to be signing, including defensive backs Johnathan Cyprien and Evan Foster, offensive lineman Hroniss Grasu and wide receiver Jaron Brown.

Cyprien and Foster will compete for reserve spots at strong safety. Grasu will add depth at center while the 49ers deal with a rash of injuries at the position, and Brown will give depth to a receiving corps that’s also been shaken up by injuries.

To make room on the 80-man roster, the 49ers waived undrafted rookie linebacker Jonas Griffith, and undrafted rookie cornerback DeMarkus Acy.

Report: 49ers fear significant knee injury for WR Jalen Hurd

The 49ers fear Jalen Hurd tore his ACL in practice.

The bad news keeps coming for the 49ers’ receiving corps. NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo on Monday reported Jalen Hurd will undergo an MRI on his knee after a fall in Sunday’s practice. The team fears a torn ACL for the second-year wide receiver. His MRI is scheduled for Monday.

A major knee injury like that would sideline Hurd for the season — forcing him out of action for the second consecutive year. He missed all of his rookie campaign in 2019 with a stress fracture in his back that he suffered in the lead up to Week 2 of the preseason.

Hurd was easing into action in this year’s training camp and working with a trainer on a side field when he fell awkwardly according to reporters on site. He stayed down for awhile before walking off the field under his own power.

Hurd was expected to play a versatile role in San Francisco’s offense after they drafted him in the third round of last year’s draft.

This is the third injury to a 49ers wide receiver this offseason. Deebo Samuel suffered a Jones fracture in his foot and Richie James Jr. broke his hand. Free agent signee Travis Benjamin also opted out.

49ers to remove 2 players from injured list to active roster, Richie James Jr. off reserve/COVID-19 list

The 49ers brought two of their five players on the PUP list to the regular active roster.

49ers general manager John Lynch on Monday had his season-opening press conference and offered a couple bits of good news for the team on the injury front. Two players will be moved off injured lists, and Richie James Jr. will come off the reserve/COVID-19 list according to the GM.

James’ activation from the reserve/COVID-19 list puts him back on the roster count. He took the spot previously held by defensive back DJ Reed, who was placed on the reserve/Non-Football Injury list. Those two moves kept the 49ers’ roster at 80 players. Lynch noted James would stay on the active/Non-Football Injury list while he nurses the hand injury he suffered during offseason workouts.

Lynch said two other players were activated off the active/Physically Unable to Perform list.

“It’s looking like Shawn Poindexter and Kentavius Street are going to be moved off, activated off, the PUP. So, they’ll be on the regular active roster.”

Poindexter, a second-year undrafted wide receiver tore his ACL in the preseason and spent the year on IR. Street has dealt with knee injuries since tearing his ACL in a pre-draft workout in 2018. He finally got into game action last year but went down with another knee injury.

A wide open competition at wide receiver could help Poindexter’s chances of making an impact. The former volleyball player has great size and athleticism, and there may be a role for him depending on how he develops as an all-around receiver.

Street has a shot to carve out a significant place in the defensive line rotation. He’s one of the players who’ll battle for some of the snaps left behind by DeForest Buckner, but he’s capable of playing any of the defensive line positions. A healthy year from Street would be a nice addition of depth for San Francisco.

They were on the active/PUP list so they’ve been on the active roster. Their move off the PUP won’t change their roster status and will keep San Francisco’s roster count at 80 heading into camp.

Three 49ers remain on the active/PUP list: Ronald Blair III, Weston Richburg and Jullian Taylor.

49ers to place DJ Reed on reserve/Non-Football Injury list

49ers DB DJ Reed went on the reserve/Non-Football Injury list with a torn pectoral he suffered in the offseason.

49ers general manager John Lynch on Monday in his season-opening press conference announced that defensive back DJ Reed would go on the reserve/Non-Football Injury list, which effectively ends Reed’s season before it could begin.

Reed in the offseason tore a pectoral that required surgery. While there was some hope he may be able to return late in the year after Texans defensive end JJ Watt and 49ers linebacker Kwon Alexander made relatively quick returns from the same injury last season.

However, not every injury is the same and not every players heals at the same rate, so the 49ers placed the third-year defensive back on the reserve/NFI list.

The reserve/NFI list designation means Reed won’t count toward the 49ers’ 90-man training camp roster. He’ll be required to stay on the reserve/NFI list for at least six weeks. The club can open a three-week practice window after that. At the end of that three week period he’d either need to be activated or stay on the reserve/NFI list.

Lynch didn’t sound optimistic that Reed would return this year though. He said the move would effectively end his season.

“That’s a tough one for us,” Lynch said via Zoom in the preseason press conference. “The earliest we might’ve had D.J. back, was early November, but it’s a four-to-six month injury.”

Reed is a do-everything defensive back for San Francisco who backs up nickel corner K’Waun Williams, but also spent some time at free safety as a rookie. He’s also a special teams contributor, so replacing him won’t be easy. There’s a chance he’s a legitimate factor next season as a starter with Williams set to hit free agency.

With Reed sidelined likely for the season, the 49ers’ cornerback depth becomes an even larger roster battle to watch in camp.

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Injury bug bites 49ers again: DJ Reed announces torn pectoral

49ers defensive back DJ Reed tweeted that he has a torn pectoral that will require surgery.

The injury bug bit the 49ers again in the 2020 offseason — this time on the defensive side. Defensive back DJ Reed on Thursday tweeted that he tore his pectoral and would need surgery on the injury.

While Reed doesn’t have a prominent role in the 49ers’ defense — he played just 125 defensive snaps last season — he is a versatile player who simultaneously gives San Francisco depth at corner and free safety. He was the starting nickel corner in Week 15 last season when K’Waun Williams was out. He’s also a key special teams contributor who played on 37 percent of those snaps while also serving as a reserve kick returner.

A torn pec doesn’t necessarily have a set timeline for return. Kwon Alexander was thought to be out for the season when he tore his on Oct. 31, but he returned for the 49ers’ playoff opener against the Vikings on Jan. 11. If Reed is on that timetable, he’d be back sometime in September.

However, since we don’t know the severity of the injury, it’s impossible to gauge when Reed might return. From his post Thursday evening, it sounds like he’s yet to go in for surgery.

“I will speak positively only, because the power of the tongue is real,” the 23-year-old wrote. “Once I get surgery I will heal up & attack my rehab.”

Reed’s injury at least temporarily opens a spot at cornerback for the 49ers, so the coaching staff will have some decisions to make in their contingency plan in case Williams is unavailable again.

San Francisco selected Reed in the fifth round of the 2018 draft out of Kansas State. In 31 career games he has two starts, two pass breakups, one fumble recovery, 1.0 sacks and 54 tackles.

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