Tag: 49ers injuries

49ers hopeful C Weston Richburg will be ready for training camp

The 49ers are hopeful Weston Richburg will be back from a torn patella in time for the start of the 2020 NFL schedule.

The 49ers on Monday got a bit of good offseason injury news during general manager John Lynch’s pre-draft video press conference. He told reporters center Weston Richburg is on track to return to action in time for training camp after tearing his patella Week 14 in New Orleans.

“Now will Weston be ready? He’s on target to be,” Lynch said. “Has the COVID situation, the shelter in place affected that a little bit? A little bit, but remember we’ve all been granted a kind of permission with the injured players that they can receive treatment, so they’ve continued on. Weston’s doing very well. Probably not as close as last year. He’s on target I should say to be ready to play if the season kicks off at the normal time.”

It’s not a given that the NFL season has it’s typical Week 1 kick off in early September. COVID-19 shutdowns have already barred teams from beginning their offseason programs on a regular schedule. There’s a chance, depending on how long COVID-19 has states under stringent shelter in place orders, that the season gets pushed back.

Still, there’s optimism that Richburg will return even if the NFL starts on time. San Francisco has a contingency plan if there is a setback for their starting center. They re-signed Ben Garland who did a nice job filling in for Richburg through the final three games and the postseason.

Continuity is key along the offensive line, and the 49ers offense is at its best when Richburg is manning the center of that unit. It’s why they gave him a five-year, $47.5 million deal at the start of the 2018 season. If he’s back to start the season, San Francisco should hit the ground running on that side of the ball in 2020.

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6 49ers returning from injury could play key roles in 2020

The 49ers handled their injuries well, but they had a ton of good players finish the year on Injured Reserve.

The 49ers didn’t have great injury luck in 2019, but they dealt with their injuries thanks to the strong depth accumulated by the front office over the last three offseasons.

Going into 2020, San Francisco should get most of the players back who finished the 2019 campaign on Injured Reserve. Here are the six players who could help bolster the 49ers’ roster up returning from IR.

C Weston Richburg

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

The 49ers lost Richburg to a torn patellar tendon in their Week 14 win over the Saints. It looked initially like the kind of injury that could derail San Francisco’s season. He is a terrific pass blocker in the middle of the line who helps stabilize the interior alongside Laken Tomlinson and Mike Person. While backup Ben Garland did a fine job in Richburg’s stead, having their starter back will only solidify an already strong offensive line.

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George Kittle won’t have any surgery during offseason

The 49ers’ tight end is getting better with rest only in the offseason.

Somehow George Kittle only needs rest in the offseason and avoided any kind of surgical procedure.

The tight end told reporters Wednesday during the team’s locker clean out that he won’t undergo any surgery in the offseason despite a torn labrum in his shoulder, and knee and ankle injuries that ailed him all year after taking a helmet to the knee on the first play of the team’s Week 9 matchup with the Cardinals.

The knee and ankle injuries kept him out for two weeks, and didn’t appear to hamper him once he returned. He still earned a First-Team All-Pro nod, was named the best player in football by Pro Football Focus, and nearly surpassed his production from his record-setting 2018 season.

His torn labrum came in 2018 when he dislocated his shoulder at an unknown time. The shoulder injury first became public during Kittle’s appearance on the Barstool Sports podcast ‘Pardon My Take.’

Kittle told the hosts of the podcasts that he wouldn’t undergo surgery because he couldn’t miss any workout dates during the offseason.

The shoulder injury is the most major one he’s dealing with, although it doesn’t appear to be hampering him. He’s amassed 173 catches, 2,430 yards and 10 touchdowns across 30 games the last two seasons.

Kittle was the best, most versatile tight end in the league even with a rash of injuries. A more healthy version of him in Year 4 might help establish him as one of the best tight ends of all-time.

Dante Pettis inactive for 49ers in Super Bowl LIV

The 49ers are at full strength in search of their sixth Lombardi Trophy.

The 49ers will be at full strength for Super Bowl LIV.  No surprise injuries popped up after nobody showed up on the official injury report on Friday, but Dante Pettis was placed among the inactives in favor of running back Jeff Wilson.

Here’s the seven inactive players for San Francisco as they try for their sixth Lombardi Trophy:

QB CJ Beathard
WR Dante Pettis
CB Dontae Johnson
TE Daniel Helm
LB Azeez Al-Shaair
WR Jordan Matthews
DL Kevin Givens

Pettis has effectively been inactive throughout the playoffs. He’s suited up, but hasn’t gotten any snaps despite a couple blowouts. Wilson is active for the first time since Week 15, and his presence could be an indicator that the 49ers plan on running the ball a lot. It may also signal the team is a little worried about running back Tevin Coleman’s shoulder after he dislocated it in the NFC championship game.

That leaves San Francisco with just four wide receivers: Deebo Samuel, Emmanuel Sanders, Kendrick Bourne and Richie James Jr.

Coleman was the only real question coming out of the NFC championship. He missed team workouts during the Bye week, then was limited until the Friday before the Super Bowl.

The rest of the banged up 49ers should be good to go.

Defensive end Dee Ford dealt with a hamstring injury late in the year, but came back for a week of full practices in the week before the Super Bowl. Linebacker Kwon Alexander was a full participant Friday after being limited throughout the two weeks between the NFC championship and Sunday. He’s still recovering from a torn pectoral. Meanwhile, strong safety Jaquiski Tartt in the NFC championship aggravated his rib injury that forced him out of the final four games of the year. He was limited all week until Friday.

Here are the Chiefs inactives. Kansas City is also at full strength.

49ers fully healthy for Super Bowl LIV

The 49ers all practiced in full Friday, and they’re healthy going into the Super Bowl.

The 49ers didn’t have any players on their injury report for Super Bowl Sunday, meaning their entire 53-man roster will be available.

There was a small question throughout the week with running back Tevin Coleman, safety Jaquiski Tartt and linebacker Kwon Alexander all limited during Bye week workouts and Wednesday and Thursday of Super Bowl week.

However, all three players were full participants in Friday’s practice and won’t have an injury designation in the Super Bowl.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Coleman, who dislocated his shoulder in the NFC championship game, is feeling good about his injury.

“He’s worked his tail off to get healthy,” Shanahan said via a pool report. “He’s good to go. He’s confident.”

It’ll be all hands on deck Sunday for San Francisco against a Chiefs team that’s playing well on both sides of the ball. Having all three of Alexander, Tartt and Coleman healthy will make life for the 49ers a little bit easier.

George Kittle playing on torn labrum in shoulder

49ers tight end George Kittle has a torn labrum, but he’s managed to become one of the NFL’s best tight ends despite it.

49ers tight end George Kittle has never been short on toughness. He played through a slew of injuries during his rookie season in 2017, and has played most of this year with knee and ankle ailments that he suffered in Week 9 that forced him to miss two games.

It turns out Kittle has also been playing through a significant shoulder injury the last two seasons. Kittle joined Barstool Sports’ podcast, ‘Pardon My Take’ and discussed the torn labrum he’s been dealing with for two seasons.

“So, I dislocated my shoulder last year,” Kittle said when addressing the gray sleeve he wears on his right arm. “And my labrum’s completely torn so I don’t get surgery on it. So this basically helps me so it doesn’t hurt all the time.”

Anything that tears as a result of a dislocated shoulder sounds cripplingly painful, but Kittle has managed to play through it and become the best tight end in the league. Pro Football Focus named him the NFL’s best player this year, one season after he set the NFL record for receiving yards by a tight end.

Will Kittle get the surgery this offseason?

“No chance,” he said. “Can’t miss those workout days, man.”

This is the type of physical toughness that sets Kittle apart and allows him to become such a force after the catch.

While the injury hasn’t seemed to slow him down at all on the field, it’s remarkable to think of what a 100 percent healthy Kittle might accomplish.

It doesn’t sound like the 26-year-old is going to get the necessary surgery to repair his shoulder any time soon. Hopefully there aren’t any long-term effects that slow him down on his way to becoming one of the NFL’s all-time great tight ends.

Tevin Coleman has chance to play in Super Bowl LIV

The 49ers may have a fully-stocked backfield for Super Bowl LIV.

The biggest injury that hit the 49ers in the NFC championship came when running back Tevin Coleman landed awkwardly on his right arm following a second-quarter run. He was carted off with what head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed was a dislocated shoulder. There’s some uncertainty about the extent of the damage, but Shanahan didn’t rule out the running back for Super Bowl LIV on February 2.

“I mean, we’ve got to wait until we get the stuff back, so I don’t want to speculate too much, but usually a week to rest it and it usually gets back in,” Shanahan said. “I expect him to have a chance to play. Can’t hold me to that. We’ll find out more after the imaging, but expect him to have a good chance to play.”

Coleman’s absence paved the way for Raheem Mostert to log a career-high 29 carries, and a franchise record 220 yards. His four touchdowns made him the first player in NFL history with 200 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in a playoff game.

While Coleman’s injury opened the door for a big day from Mostert, his presence in the lineup is still key for a 49ers rushing attack that thrives on its versatility and depth.

If Coleman can’t go in the Super Bowl, it likely means undrafted running back Jeff Wilson Jr. would be active, with Matt Breida also in the rotation. Breida logged only two snaps in the NFC championship.

This will be something worth monitoring in the lead up to the game the first Sunday in February, but the week off before the game should give Coleman a good chance to be active come game time. A fully stocked backfield is a significant advantage in the team’s quest for a sixth Super Bowl win.

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Report: Dee Ford will play vs. Vikings

Steve Wyche of the NFL Network reported Dee Ford will play vs. the Vikings on Saturday.

The 49ers will go into their divisional playoff game against the Vikings with a fully healthy slate of defenders according to Steve Wyche of the NFL Network.

Wyche reported Saturday morning before the game that Ford, along with linebacker Kwon Alexander, would be used in San Francisco’s first playoff game since the 2013 season.

The 49ers didn’t express a lot of optimism during the week that Ford would play after he missed the final four games of the year with a hamstring injury. He was limited in practice all week and officially listed as ‘questionable’ on the team’s injury report.

Wyche said defensive coordinator Robert Saleh indicated Ford would only be used as a pass-rush specialist in passing situations. That should limit his snaps and allow him to be as effective as possible while ensuring he’s healthy for any additional playoff games the 49ers might play.

Alexander’s inclusion in Wyche’s report isn’t a huge surprise after the team activated him Friday off Injured Reserve. They likely would’ve kept him on IR if they had any doubts about his ability to give them snaps Saturday.

If Ford does play, it’s a huge plus for a 49ers pass rush that’s struggled without him. Numbers indicate his presence on the edge turned San Francisco’s good pass rush into an elite unit. They’ll need that Saturday and throughout the playoffs if they’re going to have success against the group of quarterbacks they’ll see en route to a championship.

Jaquiski Tartt ruled out, Joe Staley, 2 WRs questionable vs. Saints

The 49ers will get a slew of starters back vs. New Orleans.

The 49ers will have to deal with Drew Brees and the Saints without a member of the secondary. Strong safety Jaquiski Tartt on Friday was officially ruled out with a broken rib he suffered in last week’s loss to the Ravens. Defensive tackle Jullian Taylor was also ruled out.

Second-year safety Marcell Harris played well filling in for Tartt when the starter went down in Baltimore. Harris’ strip and fumble recovery on Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson swung the tide of the game briefly in the 49ers’ favor. Harris will start in Tartt’s stead against the Saints.

Taylor injured his elbow and was expected to be ruled out for Week 14 and Week 15. His status beyond the next couple weeks is uncertain.

The good news on the 49ers’ injury report was the players missing from it. Offensive tackle Joe Staley is officially questionable after limited practices all week. He’s still working his way back from finger surgery. Defensive end Dee Ford,  defensive tackle DJ Jones and running back Matt Breida should all play against New Orleans.

There was optimism from head coach Kyle Shanahan that those three would be good to go against the Saints, and a week of practice validated that positivity. All three were full participants in Friday’s practice and will be ready to go Sunday.

Shanahan was less optimistic about wide receiver Dante Pettis returning from a knee injury. He’s officially questionable, alongside fellow wide receiver Marquise Goodwin. Goodwin was a late add to the status report with knee and foot injuries.

Defensive lineman Kentavius Street still hasn’t been activated off Injured Reserve, although his practice window did open. He can still be added to the roster Saturday if the team believes he’s ready to make his NFL debut.

Here’s the full status report:

Out

S Jaquiski Tartt (ribs)
DL Jullian Taylor (elbow)

Questionable

WR Dante Pettis (knee)
WR Marquise Goodwin (knee, foot)
OT Joe Staley (finger)

 

49ers could get 4 key players back for showdown with Ravens

The 49ers may get healthy just in time for their toughest test of the season.

The 49ers might be as healthy as they’ve been all year when they roll into Baltimore on Sunday for a showdown with MVP frontrunner Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday indicated in his press conference that left tackle Joe Staley, defensive end Dee Ford, running back Matt Breida and kicker Robbie Gould were all progressing well and game-time decisions.

That’s a much better prognosis than last week when it became clear early in the week that San Francisco would face the Packers without their four starters.

The 49ers have survived a slew of injuries thanks to some quality depth on their roster, but they’re not going to reach their peak until they’re at full strength. Getting Staley, Ford, Breida and Gould back would put San Francisco as close to peak health as they’ve been all season.

Staley had surgery a finger he dislocated and fractured against the Seahawks in Week 10. Breida aggravated an ankle injury that same game and hasn’t played since. Ford hurt his hamstring the following week against the Cardinals, and Gould injured his quad in practice leading up to the Seattle game.

Gould told Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area that he plans to play Sunday.

Ford’s return would come at a good time after Damontre Moore, who replaced Ronald Blair, broke his forearm Sunday night. San Francisco is suddenly thin at defensive end, and putting Ford back in the lineup would be a nice boost for the pass rush.

The offensive tackles also struggled Sunday night. Justin Skule, Staley’s backup, was pulled in the second quarter in favor of Daniel Brunskill. Staley’s return to the lineup to shore up Jimmy Garoppolo’s blind side would help the offense immensely.

Breida’s insertion back into the lineup would give the running game an element of explosiveness its been missing with him banged up. He’s a home run threat every time he touches the ball. While the 49ers’ other backs are talented, Breida is simply a different type of electric that helps power San Francisco’s rushing attack.

The 49ers won’t practice until Wednesday, at which point we’ll get a better idea of how close each of those players are. Shanahan’s update Monday is optimistic though, and that’s as good as they can hope for given how bad the injury situation has been to this point.