The San Francisco 49ers’ practice participation report was crowded Wednesday as the team began its on-field preparations for Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals.
It’s not a huge surprise there are a ton of names on the list. 11 players were either non-participants or limited in Wednesday’s session. A slew of 49ers were banged up in their Week 4 win over the New England Patriots, and head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday in a conference call indicated each of the players hurt Sunday were considered day-to-day.
The day-to-day designation gives some hope that Wednesday was a precautionary day off for a group headlined by superstar linebacker Fred Warner. Still, no practice to start the week isn’t a great sign. Thursday and Friday will give us better indications of their Week 5 availability.
Here’s the practice report from Wednesday:
Did not participate
WR Chris Conley (oblique)
WR Jacob Cowing (shoulder)
DE Yetur Gross-Matos (knee)
TE George Kittle (ribs)
LB Fred Warner (ankle)
LB Dee Winters (ankle)
Yikes! The 49ers have the depth to make up for a game without Conley or Cowing. They’ve been able to get by without Winters this year while he’s dealt with a nagging ankle issue. Even though they’re thin on the defensive line, they should even be able to piece together a DL if Gross-Matos is out. Navigating life without Kittle and Warner would be exceedingly difficult though, particularly against a division opponent desperate for a win.
Limited participation
DT Jordan Elliott (knee)
LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (calf)
DT Kevin Givens (triceps)
S Talanoa Hufanga (ankle)
LT Trent Williams (not injury related – resting player)
It’s a good sign that Hufanga was at least limited after sitting out Sunday’s game. That bodes well for his chances to play. Elliott also left Sunday’s game early with knee swelling. It looks like he has a shot to suit up Sunday as well with a limited practice to start the week. Either way, the glut of defensive linemen dealing with injury issues isn’t going to help the 49ers’ defense stabilize after a rough start to the year.
Full participation
DT Kalia Davis (knee)
FB Kyle Juszczyk (shoulder)
The 49ers opened Davis’s practice window Wednesday. A full practice to get started is a really positive sign for him. He hurt his knee in the preseason opener and required surgery. Getting him back as a depth piece on the D-line would be huge.
