49ers officially rule out 6 defensive players vs. Falcons

The 49ers will miss six defensive players when they face the Falcons on Sunday.

The 49ers will be shorthanded on the defensive side going into their Week 15 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. They officially ruled out six players for Sunday, all on defense, including three of their five starters in the secondary.

This doesn’t come as a huge surprise since head coach Kyle Shanahan ruled out Jullian Taylor a week ago when he said the defensive lineman would miss multiple weeks with an elbow injury. Then he ruled out Dee Ford and Richard Sherman on Monday. Then Thursday said DJ Jones was going on Injured Reserve.

With K’Waun Williams and Jaquiki Tartt both missing practice Wednesday and Thursday, the writing was on the wall that both players would be out Sunday.

The 49ers were supposed to get healthier to close the year, and they have for the most part on offense, but the defensive side has taken a pretty massive hit over the last couple weeks. That’s only going to make their battle for a division title more difficult.

Here’s the official injury report:

Out

DE Dee Ford (quad, hamstring)
DT D.J. Jones (ankle)
CB Richard Sherman (hamstring)
S Jaquiski Tartt (ribs)
DT Jullian Taylor (elbow)
CB K’Waun Williams (concussion)

49ers hit hard by injuries after Saints game

The 49ers got a slew of bad injury news from head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday announced a slew of injuries to key starters.

Center Weston Richburg is out for the season with a torn patellar tendon. Dee Ford and Richard Sherman will both miss multiple weeks with hamstring injuries.

Richburg was carted off in the second half of the team’s win in New Orleans after getting his leg caught underneath him on a third down run play. Shanahan wasn’t optimistic in his postgame press conference after Richburg left the locker room on crutches.

The 49ers signed Richburg last offseason and he played through painful knee and quad injuries that both required offseason surgery. He bounced back with a terrific 2019 campaign before his injury Sunday.

Ben Garland will likely replace Richburg as the starting center. He signed with San Francisco in the offseason after two years in Denver and three in Seattle. He has seven starts across his six seasons.

Ford was dealing with a hamstring injury prior to Sunday’s game in New Orleans. He aggravated it early in the game and did not return. His absence will mean more time on the edge for Arik Armstead and Jeremiah Valoaga.

Sherman was banged up a couple times, but came up with a hamstring issue late in the fourth quarter and didn’t enter the game on the Saints’ final offensive possession. Emmanuel Moseley will likely step into the starting cornerback spot across from Ahkello Witherspoon.

Cornerback K’Waun Williams exited late with a concussion and is in concussion protocol. If he can’t go Sunday against the Falcons, DJ Reed would probably be the starting nickel corner.

Safety Jaquiski Tartt is still day-to-day with a rib injury. He was out for Sunday’s game, and defensive tackle DJ Jones is nursing an ankle sprain.

The 49ers need to get healthy over these next few weeks, and suddenly the first-round playoff bye feels more important than ever. San Francisco can secure a first-round bye if they win their final three games. That extra week off could be the difference between having players like Sherman and Ford for the first playoff game, and not having them.

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.

Good injury news: George Kittle returns to practice

There’s a reason to be optimistic about George Kittle’s status for Sunday night vs. the Packers.

The 49ers on Thursday finally got some good news on the injury front. Tight end George Kittle was back on the practice field wearing a blue non-contact jersey according to multiple reporters at the 49ers’ facility.

Kittle hasn’t practiced since injuring his knee and ankle on the first play of the team’s Week 9 win over the Cardinals in Arizona. He played the rest of that game and posted six catches for 79 yards and a touchdown.

San Francisco lost their first game without Kittle the following week against the Seahawks. Their run game and passing attack both suffered without Kittle’s multifaceted skill set. They struggled out of the gates the following week against Arizona, and failed to run the ball with any effectiveness. While Jimmy Garoppolo wound up throwing for 424 yards and four touchdowns in a 36-26 win, Kittle’s presence in the passing game was sorely missed on plays designed to go down the field.

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A limited practice Thursday guarantees nothing for the tight end, and head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday said “it’s going to come down to the wire again” with Kittle. However, his return is a good sign, and another practice Friday will give a better indication of his status for Sunday night.

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49ers’ 4 top offensive playmakers among 7 out of practice

The 49ers could face a serious injury problem Sunday night vs. the Packers.

The 49ers’ participation report for Wednesday’s practice was a star-studded list. Seven players missed the session, and two others were limited. Among the players out were running back Matt Breida, wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Deebo Samuel, and tight end George Kittle.

Those four account for most of the playmaking on the 49ers’ offense. Breida leads the team in rushing yards and is averaging 5.0 yards per carry this season. Sanders has been Jimmy Garoppolo’s favorite target in his four games with the team, and Samuel has emerged as a top-end receiver in the two games Sanders has dealt with a rib injury. Samuel leads all NFL rookies with 38 catches. Kittle is arguably the best tight end in the league, and provides as much value as a run blocker as he does as a pass catcher. He’s leading the club in receptions and receiving yards.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t rule any of those four out for Sunday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers, but starting the week off with a non-participation in practice isn’t a great early sign.

Here’s the full participation report for Wednesday:

Did not participate

RB Matt Breida (ankle)
TE George Kittle (knee, ankle)
WR Deebo Samuel (shoulder)
WR Emmanuel Sanders (ribs)
T Joe Staley (finger)
DE Dee Ford (quad, hamstring)
K Robbie Gould (quad)

Limited participation

DT DJ Jones (groin)
RB Raheem Mostert (knee)

Full participation

Azeez Al-Shaair (concussion)

Dee Ford questionable to return with hamstring injury

The 49ers could take another hit to their already thin defensive line.

The 49ers announced late in the second half defensive end Dee Ford is questionable to return with a hamstring injury.

He left the field gingerly after chasing down Kyler Murray for a sack on the Cardinals’ previous drive.

Ford has been limited nearly all year in practice with a quad injury, so a hamstring injury on top of that isn’t ideal. San Francisco is already thin at defensive end with Ronald Blair out for the year with a torn ACL.

Ford was worked on in the medical tent before walking over to join his teammates at the end of the bench.

Azeez Al-Shaair officially ruled out vs. Cardinals

The 49ers may already have their seven inactive players for Sunday vs. the Cardinals.

The already banged up 49ers got more bad injury news Saturday when linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was unable to clear concussion protocol. By not doing so Saturday, he’s officially been ruled out for Sunday’s matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.

Al-Shaair left Monday night’s game in the second half to be evaluated for a concussion, and was later placed into concussion protocol. One of the disadvantages of playing Monday night is the short week to recoup from injuries and clear concussion protocol.

San Francisco’s linebacker depth was already a little thin following Kwon Alexander’s season-ending pec tear. Elijah Lee was behind Al-Shaair on the depth chart and will likely slide into a Sam linebacker role in base, while contributing on special teams.

Al-Shaair, an undrafted rookie, has played about 59 percent of the team’s special teams snaps this season as one of their core players on that unit. He’s also logged 41 defensive snaps, most of them coming the last three weeks with a blowout win over Carolina, then two games with Alexander hurt.

San Francisco has already ruled out DJ Jones and Joe Staley. With George Kittle, Robbie Gould and Matt Breida all doubtful, Al-Shaair ruled out, and CJ Beathard as the third quarterback, we likely have all seven of the 49ers’ required inactive players for Sunday. If anyone else gets hurt, they’ll have to operate with fewer than the 46-player maximum.

George Kittle, Matt Breida doubtful for 49ers vs. Cardinals

The 49ers injury situation isn’t getting much better going into their matchup with the Cardinals.

The 49ers injury situation was supposed to get better during the second half of the season. It’s gone the other direction.

San Francisco faces the Cardinals on Sunday, a team they snuck past 28-25 two weeks ago. This time they’ll likely do so without tight end George Kittle, running back Matt Breida, and kicker Robbie Gould. All three are officially ‘doubtful’ on the Week 11 injury report after missing practice all week.

Kittle is working through ankle and knee injuries he suffered in Week 9 against Arizona. Breida is resting an ankle ailment he aggravated in the Week 10 loss to the Seahawks, and Gould is nursing a sore quad he hurt in practice leading up to the Seattle game.

The good news is cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon is expected to return, although he’s officially questionable. Witherspoon has been out since spraining his foot in Week 3. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders suffered a rib cartilage injury against the Seahawks. He’s questionable, but told reporters he’s going to try and play, per Matt Barrows of the Athletic.

Here is the full injury report:

Out

DT D.J. Jones (groin)
OT Joe Staley (finger)

Doubtful

RB Matt Breida (ankle)
K Robbie Gould (right quadricep)
TE George Kittle (knee, ankle)

Questionable

LB Azeez Al-Shaair (concussion)
CB Ahkello Witherspoon (foot, quad)
RB Raheem Mostert (knee)
WR Dante Pettis (back)
WR Emmanuel Sanders (ribs)

49ers have 14 players either out or limited in practice

The 49ers had 14 players out or limited in practice Thursday.

The 49ers list of injured players is long. It may be so long that they can’t suit up 46 players Sunday against the Cardinals.

14 players were either out of practice or limited Thursday, including tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. They were both out of practice for the second consecutive day.

The NFL season becomes a war of attrition through the final half of the year, and the 49ers are in a fierce battle now. Kittle hasn’t been officially ruled out, but Staley will miss a couple weeks, and DJ Jones is out at least for the Cardinals game. Robbie Gould hasn’t practiced since straining his quad early last week, and Matt Breida re-aggravated an ankle injury Monday night against Seattle.

Here’s Thursday’s practice report released by the team:

Did not participate

RB Matt Breida (ankle)
RB Tevin Coleman (not injury related)
K Robbie Gould (quad)
DT D.J. Jones (groin)
TE George Kittle (knee, ankle)
WR Emmanuel Sanders (ribs)
OT Joe Staley (finger)

Limited participation

LB Azeez Al-Shaair (concussion)
TE Garrett Celek (back)
DE Dee Ford (quad)
RB Raheem Mostert (knee)
WR Dante Pettis (back)
TE Levine Toilolo (groin)
CB Ahkello Witherspoon (foot, quad)