Tag: 49ers

49ers vs. Seahawks injury report: Latest updates, news for Week 11

All the latest updates and news on 49ers’ injury report ahead of a Week 11 game vs. Seahawks.

The San Francisco 49ers need a win in Week 11 over the Seattle Seahawks. Their injury situation may make it a significant uphill climb to a victory.

With the Arizona Cardinals on a Bye, the 49ers could finish Week 11 in a tie for first place in the NFC. They’ll be in second because of head-to-head tiebreakers, but they’ll also be just a half game out of the No. 7 seed in the NFC. San Francisco needs to start stacking some wins against NFC and NFC West opponents to give themselves a little breathing room in their hunt for a postseason berth.

Seattle, on the other hand, is trying to climb out of the NFC West basement after their Bye. A loss puts them further behind the curve to compete in the NFC West. A win puts them in position to fight for the division crown.

There’s a ton at stake in Sunday’s game, and the 49ers may be missing some key players. Here’s what their Week 11 injury report looks like:

49ers injury report

Out
CB Charvarius Ward (personal)
DT Kevin Givens (groin)
P Mitch Wishnowsky (back)

Doubtful
CB Darrell Luter Jr. (pelvis)

Questionable
TE George Kittle (hamstring)
DE Nick Bosa (hip)
LT Trent Williams (ankle)
DL Yetur Gross-Matos (knee)
C Jon Feliciano (knee)
LG Aaron Banks (thigh)

CB Charvarius Ward injury update

Ward remains out to deal with a personal matter. Head coach Kyle Shanahan intimated Ward could be nearing a return, but the team won’t put a date on when he comes back due to the nature of his absence.

DT Kevin Givens injury update

Givens was seen working on a side field Friday according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. That’s a good sign for the 49ers’ DT who has become an integral part of their defensive line rotation.

P Mitch Wishnowsky injury update

A back injury cropped up for Wishnowsky during training camp and flared up in Week 10. He may be out significant time to get his back right. The 49ers signed P Pat O’Donnell to their practice squad as a potential replacement if Wishnowsky is out long-term. Shanahan told reporters the team plans on placing Wishnowsky on IR.

CB Darrell Luter Jr. injury update

Luter showed up on Friday’s participation report with a pelvis injury. It’s unclear when he sustained the injury, but he didn’t participate Friday.

TE George Kittle injury update

A hamstring injury cropped up for Kittle after Sunday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Shanahan indicated early in the week he was optimistic Kittle would be available Sunday. He missed Wednesday’s practice, but returned for Thursday and Friday’s sessions.

DE Nick Bosa injury update

Bosa played through a hip injury in Week 10, and told reporters after Wednesday’s practice he would rest during the week to try and get ready for Sunday. He wound up returning Friday for a limited practice. Shanahan seemed optimistic about Bosa’s chances, but he’ll be a game time decision.

LT Trent Williams injury update

An ankle injury accompanied Williams’s usual veteran rest day Wednesday. He was out of Thursday’s practice as well, putting a significant question mark over his status for Sunday.

DL Yetur Gross-Matos injury update

The 49ers haven’t activated Gross-Matos off IR after opening his practice window before Week 10. Here’s in line to turn this week and provide a significant boost to the 49ers’ defensive line.

C Jon Feliciano injury update

Feliciano is in the same boat as Gross-Matos as someone with their practice window opened. It sounds like the 49ers may be awaiting a chance to open a roster spot before bringing him back.

LG Aaron Banks injury update

This is a new one. Banks didn’t appear on either Wednesday or Thursday practice reports, and then landed as questionable with a thigh issue after a limited practice Friday. His status may determine whether Feliciano is activated.

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Seahawks QB Geno Smith really wants to beat the 49ers on Sunday

Seahawks QB Geno Smith really wants to beat the 49ers on Sunday

The Seattle Seahawks are facing a critical matchup within the NFC West against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The Week 11 date is the final scheduled meeting versus the 49ers this season after the Bay Area-based team beat the Seahawks 36-24 in Week 6. Starting quarterback Geno Smith is 0-5 in his career against the divisional rival. Smith is anxious to put those struggles behind him on Sunday.

“It’s very personal, man,” Smith responded when asked about defeating the 49ers on Sunday. “When you think about division opponents, these games matter the most. Especially with the 49ers. They’ve been on top of our division for a while. If we want to be the type of team we say we are, we’ve got to go through teams like this. I know I’m going to step on the field with that chip on my shoulder, that edge I always have,” Smith concluded.

The 4-5 Seahawks are at the bottom of the NFC West. The 5-4 49ers trail the surprising 6-4 Arizona Cardinals. Smith struggled in the first meeting versus the 49ers, completing 30 of 52 passing attempts for 312 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Running back Kenneth Walker III was limited to 32 rushing yards and DK Metcalf totaled just 48 receiving yards. Smith will be anxious to spearhead a far more successful offensive showing on Sunday.

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How much will 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey play in Week 11 vs. Seahawks?

Christian McCaffrey’s workload was a question in Week 10. It’s not in Week 11.

Don’t expect the San Francisco 49ers to take their foot off the gas in their usage of running back Christian McCaffrey.

McCaffrey returned in Week 10 after missing the first nine weeks to work through Achilles tendinitis. It stood to reason that his usage might start slow and then ramp up.

Instead, he played 88 percent of the snaps, accounted for 13 of their 18 designed carries, and received seven of the 36 available targets – the second-most on the team. While that sounds like a heavy workload, head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday after the team’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers indicated there’s no plan to slow down on McCaffrey’s workload.

“I didn’t think we rode him pretty hard,” Shanahan said. “But no, I think we were good with it and we’ll see how this year goes. That was our first game with him. I think he had 19 touches, which I think is a little less than he had last year. But it was our first game back with him and we didn’t want him to go too many series in a row. We started taking him out, I think we did it in between two series in the first half, and once we only had one drive in the third quarter and we got into that fourth quarter, we weren’t taking him out in the fourth. So, we’ll see how the year goes with it.”

With key games coming up against the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers, the 49ers will likely wind up leaning even heavier on McCaffrey before they ease up on his usage.

There’ll be some injury management required, but early on it appears the team will be doing that by limiting his practice reps. Once the games begin, it figures to be business as usual with McCaffrey as the focal point of the 49ers’ offense.

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49ers free agency prediction: Former All-Pro walks for big contract

The 49ers have telegraphed their plans at safety.

The San Francisco 49ers have been telegraphing their plans in the back end of their secondary since the 2023 draft, and those plans don’t involve bringing back former All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga.

In the 2023 draft they weren’t slated to pick until late in Round 3, but they traded up to the No. 87 overall pick where they selected safety Ji’Ayir Brown. His versatile skill set made him an easy fit in the 49ers defense, and they needed to get younger at that position.

They affirmed their commitment to their plans in the 2024 draft when they used a fourth-round pick to select safety Malik Mustapha. That choice confirmed Hufanga’s time in San Francisco wouldn’t likely last beyond his rookie contract, which is up after the 2024 season.

Choosing to move on from Hufanga isn’t because he hasn’t had a strong four seasons with the 49ers. He was a quality special teams contributor as a rookie, then earned a First-Team All-Pro nod in 2022 in his first season as a starter on defense.

Injuries cut his 2023 season short and may cost him a majority of the 2024 campaign, but he’s still a quality player who will likely earn a contract in free agency north of what the 49ers can afford.

At some point the 49ers have to decide where they’re going to trim their roster financially, and the two safety spots are an easy choice given the other talent they’ve paid on the defensive side of the ball. That they used two draft picks at the position was confirmation they’d be going with rookie contracts at the two safety spots.

There’s always a chance Hufanga’s market is muted and he returns to the 49ers, which gives San Francisco a good problem on their depth chart. However, his penchant for generating turnovers and creating big plays for a defense should make him a valuable asset on the free agent market. If there’s even a handful of teams interested, his value will quickly sail above what the 49ers can realistically afford.

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New 49ers Week 11 practice report features more bad news than good

Woof … Thursday’s practice report isn’t great.

The San Francisco 49ers are teetering on the brink of potential disaster on the injury front as they prepare for their Week 11 showdown against the Seattle Seahawks.

Thursday’s practice participation report was even more crowded than Wednesday’s, and it featured more bad news than good.

The good news is that tight end George Kittle returned to action after missing Wednesday’s session. He was limited Thursday, as anticipated by head coach Kyle Shanahan who told reporters he wasn’t too worried about Kittle’s status for Sunday.

In some less-than-good news, left tackle Trent Williams was absent again with an ankle issue. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings also showed up as a limited participant with an ankle injury.

Williams was classified as a non-participant for rest Wednesday, but he also had an ankle injury listed. That ankle kept him out of another practice Thursday, putting his status for Sunday in doubt. If he can’t go, Jaylon Moore would be next in line to step in at left tackle. This will be worth monitoring closely.

Jennings wasn’t on the Wednesday report which makes his appearance Thursday even more concerning. It’s unclear the severity of the issue and when he sustained the injury. Shanahan will speak with reporters Friday and give a better idea of what the 49ers’ leading wide receiver is dealing with.

Defensive end Nick Bosa remained out of practice with a hip injury. He intimated to reporters Wednesday that he’d likely miss the entire week in hopes of getting ready to play Sunday. He’s also a question mark for Sunday in a key matchup with the Seahawks.

Here’s the full Thursday participation report:

Did not participate

DE Nick Bosa (hip)
DT Kevin Givens (groin)
LT Trent Williams (ankle)
P Mitch Wishnowsky (back)
CB Charvarius Ward (not injury related – personal matter)

Limited participation

TE George Kittle (hamstring)
WR Chris Conley (back)
C Jon Feliciano (knee)
WR Jauan Jennings (ankle)
RB Christian McCaffrey (Achilles)

Full participation

CB Renardo Green (toe)
DE Yetur Gross-Matos (knee)

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Reported numbers on Deommodore Lenoir contract are bargain for 49ers

These reported contract numbers for Deommodore Lenoir are wild. The 49ers got a steal.

Initial reports on a new contract for San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir made it clear the team got a good deal on their 25-year-old breakout star.

Additional numbers provided by Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports paint an even better picture for the 49ers in the deal.

Jones reported Lenoir’s five-year deal is worth $88.8 million. The original report said it was $92 million. That puts the average annual value at $17.76 million. Lenoir still lands as the No. 12 highest-paid CB in terms of average annual value.

The numbers that matter in NFL contracts are the guarantees, and Lenoir inked a deal for just $15.5 million guaranteed at signing according to Jones’s numbers. That’s a bargain for San Francisco. Denver Broncos Patrick Surtain II is in a tier above Lenoir, but his new deal landed him $40.7 million guaranteed at signing. Chicago Bears CB Jaylon Johnson got $43.8 million guaranteed at signing.

Jones also notes Lenoir’s contract includes $43.3 million guaranteed for injury.

Overall this deal won’t do much to impact the 49ers’ ability to fit a top-of-market contract for quarterback Brock Purdy in the offseason when he becomes eligible for an extension. It also helps San Francisco shore up its secondary with an ascending star at an extremely affordable price. If these are the final numbers, the 49ers got a steal.

Update

A further breakdown of the contract was published by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.

According to Florio, “only 17 percent of Lenoir’s deal is fully guaranteed at signing; that’s the smallest full-guaranteed portion for any cornerback making more than $2 million per year.”

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49ers schedule: Week 11 game vs. Seahawks a virtual must-win

The 49ers need to beat the Seahawks for a bunch of reasons.

There’s a clear path to the postseason for the San Francisco 49ers that started in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and continues in Week 11 against the Seattle Seahawks.

The game at Tampa Bay was a virtual must-win for the previously 4-4 49ers. A loss to fall to 4-5 could have been catastrophic. Alas, they pulled out a 23-20 victory on the road. While it was a significant win, it was only Step 1 for the 49ers. Perhaps more important is Sunday’s matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.

It doesn’t appear as though the 49ers’ road back to the playoffs will ever be easy this season. They could simply win the rest of their games and punch their ticket that way, but with games coming up in Green Bay, in Buffalo, at home against the Lions, Dolphins and Rams, and in Arizona, the likelihood they win out is slim. That puts a handful of other scenarios on the table.

There are too many different ways this can all play out to start listing them here, but there’s a real chance tiebreakers come into play for either the division or a wild card spot. The bottom line for Sunday’s game is that the 49ers can’t drop another game in the division after losing to the Cardinals and Rams earlier in the year.

NFL tiebreakers for the division start with head-to-head record. The 49ers would sweep the season series with the Seahawks with a win Sunday and climb further ahead of them in the standings. If the teams split their head-to-head matchups, which the 49ers would if they beat the Rams and Cardinals, then the next tiebreaker is record within the division.

San Francisco needs a trio of wins in the division down the stretch, and their second time through the NFC West begins Sunday.

There’s a wild card element to factor in as well.

The first tiebreaker for wild card teams is head-to-head matchup. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it next week when the 49ers visit the No. 7 seed Green Bay Packers. The next tiebreaker is conference record, and San Francisco’s three NFC losses early in the year put them behind the curve in that category.

Racking up NFC wins is going to be imperative to not only have a playoff-caliber record, but also for getting a potential tiebreaker edge.

San Francisco could still make the postseason if they lose Sunday. A win makes the path much easier though, and finding out what it looks like with a loss to Seattle is probably a version of the playoff picture they’ll want to avoid.

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Why was Christian McCaffrey limited for 49ers in 1st Week 11 practice?

Christian McCaffrey was limited in Wednesday’s practice, but that’s no reason for alarm.

The San Francisco 49ers have a new weekly problem to solve now that running back Christian McCaffrey has returned from Achilles tendinitis.

While it’s certainly a positive that the reigning Offensive Player of the Year is back in their lineup, the club now has to navigate managing his injury. Part of that will likely be limited practice work and plenty of appearances for McCaffrey on the practice participation report as a result.

McCaffrey debuted Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and notched 13 carries to go along with six receptions on seven targets. He got through the game without issue, but showed up on Wednesday’s practice report as a limited participant.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan before Wednesday’s session said there was no setback for McCaffrey and that his limited practice was a product of how the 49ers are choosing to manage the injury.

It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if McCaffrey didn’t have a full participation in a full practice the rest of the year.

There doesn’t appear to be any inkling from the club or Shanahan that McCaffrey’s workload will diminish greatly this year. He averaged 21.2 touches per game last season and came out of the gate with his 19 in Week 10.

Shanahan didn’t seem bothered by the number of touches McCaffrey received in his debut, indicating he’ll likely continue being the workhorse back for San Francisco. Where they will shortcut his usage is in practice where full participation isn’t required for McCaffrey to be effective during the week.

This may all change if he has a setback at some point, but for now we can get used to seeing McCaffrey on the participation report as less than a full participant.

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3 49ers starters miss 1st practice of Week 11 due to injury

49ers Wednesday practice report is crowded.

The San Francisco 49ers kicked off their Week 11 practices with a handful off injury issues keeping players from practicing in full.

In total, nine players were either absent from the session or limited. Three were limited, and four others missed the first practice of the week due to injury.

Among the non-injury related absences were cornerback Charvarius Ward and left tackle Trent Williams.

Ward is out while he works through a personal tragedy. Williams is getting his usual veteran rest day, although the team also listed an ankle injury for him alongside his ‘not injury related’ designation. Chances are Williams will be back in practice Thursday despite an ankle issue.

Here’s what Wednesday’s participation report looks like:

Did not participate

DE Nick Bosa (hip)
DT Kevin Givens (groin)
TE George Kittle (hamstring)
P Mitch Wishnowsky (back)
CB Charvarius Ward (not injury related – personal matter)
LT Trent Williams (ankle, not injury related – resting player)

Givens has missed the last two games and a non-participation Wednesday isn’t a great sign for a Week 11 return. Head coach Kyle Shanahan before Wednesday’s practice indicated Kittle wouldn’t participate, but expressed optimism about his availability for Sunday. He was less optimistic about Bosa, who played in Week 10 through a hip injury he sustained in practice. Wishnowsky’s back flared up in Week 10, and the team added a punter to their special teams unit.

Limited participation

WR Chris Conley (hamstring)
C Jon Feliciano (knee)
RB Christian McCaffrey (Achilles)

No surprises here. Conley would provide some depth at WR and Feliciano would provide depth on the O-line. San Francisco could’ve activated Feliciano off IR last week, but opted not to. McCaffrey’s limited session may be a regular occurrence this season while they manage his Achilles injury.

Full participation

CB Renardo Green (toe)
DE Yetur Gross-Matos (knee)

Green has been playing well and left Sunday’s game vs. the Buccaneers with a toe issue. His quick return is good for the 49ers’ secondary. Gross-Matos also was eligible to return from IR last week, but he was unable to suit up. A full practice is an optimistic sign he’ll return in Week 11.

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49ers roster move isn’t good news for ailing specialist

The 49ers added a new punter to their practice squad while Mitch Wishnowsky deals with an injury.

The San Francisco 49ers might once again be dealing with a missing specialist.

Punter Mitch Wishnowsky has been dealing with a back injury that flared up during the team’s Week 10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday said the team would be evaluating treatment options, and left Wishnowsky’s status for Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks up in the air.

San Francisco’s practice squad tweak before Wednesday’s game wasn’t a good sign for Wishnowsky’s availability.

The 49ers on Tuesday announced the addition of punter Pat O’Donnell to their practice squad. They released veteran defensive tackle T.Y. McGill in a corresponding move to make room on their 16-man practice squad roster.

O’Donnell, 33, was a sixth-round pick of the Chicago Bears in the 2014 draft out of the University of Miami. He played in 145 games across nine years, including eight with the Bears, and one each with the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons. His stint with the Falcons last year was only on their practice squad.

He’s averaging 45.1 yards per punt across 616 kicks in his career.

Ideally the 49ers wouldn’t need to replace Wishnowsky, who also missed time in the preseason. However, this is something they’ve dealt with on the kicking side where kickers Jake Moody and Matt Wright both suffered injuries that caused them to miss time.

Given the team’s special teams struggles, having to replace reliable players on those units could be a significant issue moving forward.

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